Major Groups of the Animal The major group that hawks belong to is the bird group. Hawks have wings and feathers to fly. Which all are characteristics of birds. The hawk has eyes on the sides of its head so it can see all around, similar to a normal bird. The differences between the hawk and other birds is that the hawk is a bird of prey. “Birds of prey” or raptors make their living by hunting, killing, and consuming live animals. They are at the top of the ecological food chain which makes the hawk a top consumer. Evolution The hawk is closely related to all birds of prey. Any bird that makes its living by hunting, ki