| Harriers | |
|---|---|
| File:Monties.png | |
| Montagu's Harrier | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Clade: | Inopinaves |
| Clade: | Afroaves |
| Superorder: | Accipitrimorphae |
| Order: | Accipitriformes |
| Family: | Accipitridae |
| Subfamily: | Accipitrinae |
| Tribe: | Accipitrini |
| Genus: | Circus Lacépède, 1799 |
A harrier is any of the several species of diurnal hawks in the Accipitrinae sub-family of the Accipitridae family of birds of prey. Harriers characteristically hunt by flying low over open ground, feeding on small mammals, reptiles, or birds.
Most harriers are placed in the genus Circus, the scientific name arising from the circling movements female and male make when courting. Two other harriers are in the genus Polyboroides, the harrier-hawks, which are allopatric (geographically separated) and restricted to the Afrotropic ecozone. The remaining single species forms the monotypic genus Geranospiza.
Species list[]
- Genus Circus
- Montagu's Harrier, Circus pygargus
- Northern Harrier, Circus cyaneus
- Western Marsh Harrier, Circus aeruginosus
- Eastern Marsh Harrier, Circus spilonotus
- Papuan Harrier, Circus spilonotus spilothorax
- African Marsh Harrier, Circus ranivorus
- Swamp Harrier, Circus approximans
- Malagasy Harrier, Circus macrosceles (formerly in C. maillardi)
- Réunion Harrier, Circus maillardi
- Long-winged Harrier, Circus buffoni
- Spotted Harrier, Circus assimilis
- Black Harrier, Circus maurus
- Cinereous Harrier, Circus cinereus
- Pallid Harrier, Circus macrourus
- Pied Harrier, Circus melanoleucos
- Eyles' Harrier, Circus eylesi (prehistoric)
- Wood Harrier, Circus dossenus (prehistoric)
Other harrier-like birds[]
- Genus Polyboroides
- Madagascar Harrier-Hawk, Polyboroides radiatus
- African Harrier-Hawk, Polyboroides typus
- Genus Geranospiza
- Crane Hawk, Geranospiza caerulescens
See also[]
- Ring-tail harrier, an informal term for the juveniles and females of several harrier species.
References[]
- Ferguson-Lees, Christie, Franklin, Mead, and Burton. Raptors of the World. London: Christopher Helm, 1999. ISBN 0713680261.
External links[]
- Harrier videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Harrier videos on the Internet Bird Collection
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