An accipiter is a raptor or "bird of prey". To be specific, it is one of two
types of hawks. The other type of hawk is the buteo. In the United States there
are only three species of accipiters; Accipiter striatus (Sharp-shinned Hawk),
Accipiter cooperii (Cooper's Hawk), and Accipiter gentilis (Northern Goshawk).
The logo which appears on our welcome page is a picture of a Northern Goshawk.
The founder of Accipiter Software Inc. had in earlier times been a volunteer for
the Carolina Raptor Center, located on Mountain Island Lake near Charlotte,
North Carolina. This non-profit organization is dedicated to the rescue and
rehabilitation of injured birds of prey, as well as the education of the public
about these noble creatures. It was this experience that inspired the name Accipiter
Software Inc.
The word "Accipiter" can be pronounced two ways: (e sip' i ter) and (ak sip' i
ter) where the first "c" is soft or hard. Since Accipiter Software Inc. is
located in the Southeast, we chose the pronounciation with the soft "c", which
is more prevelent in this region.