Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. Starting in the hawk's early life, it is fed by its parents until it leaves the nest. The young hawk, while still in its fledgling phase, will leave its nest as early as six weeks old. Once the bird is older it begins to hunt. The hawk kills its prey with its talons as opposed to other predator birds, such as the falcon. The falcon uses its talons to catch the prey but kills the small animal with its beak instead of its talons.[citation needed] The hawk's preferred time for hunting is usually just before nightfall when daylight lessens. Although the hawk is known for being a violent predator, some are gentle and quiet.[citation needed] When it flies, the hawk flaps its wings rapidly, and then uses that momentum to glide smoothly and gracefully through the air. (Source: Wikipedia.org, CC BY-SA)