Harrier

Harrier
Northern harrier Circus cyaneus
Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Domain	Eukaryota
Kingdom	Animalia
Subkingdom	Bilateria
Branch	Deuterostomia
Phylum Information
Phylum	Chordata
Sub-phylum	Vertebrata
Infraphylum	Gnathostomata
Class Information
Superclass	Tetrapoda
Class	Aves
Sub-class	Neornithes
Infra-class	Neoaves
Order Information
Superorder	Passerimorphae
Order	Accipitriformes
Infraorder	Falconides
Family Information
Family	Accipitridae
Sub-family	Perninae
Genus Information
Genera	Circus Geranospiza Polyboroides
Population statistics

Harriers are medium-sized diurnal birds-of-prey of the family Accipitridae, and characterized by an owl-like face, and a method of leisurely flapping and gliding when hunting low over the ground.

Description

Unlike their hawk relatives, harriers have a slender, lean appearance. The head is relatively small for their body size; the legs are long and thin. The wings are long and narrow, and they posses a long rounded tail. A facial ruff of feathers around the cheeks give the birds their owl-like appearance.

The smallest species is the pied harrier (Circus melanoleucos) at 15 inches in length; the largest is the northern or hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) at 22 inches. Like other birds of prey, females are larger than males.

Species

Three genera and seventeen species are classified as harriers:

• Genus Circus

African marsh harrier, Circus ranivorus

Black harrier, Circus maurus

Cinereous harrier, Circus cinereus

Eastern marsh harrier, Circus spilonotus

Long-winged harrier, Circus buffoni

Madagascar marsh harrier, Circus maillardi

Montagu's harrier, Circus pygargus

Northern harrier, Circus cyaneus

Pallid harrier, Circus macrourus

Pied harrier, Circus melanoleucos

Reunion harrier, Circus maillardi

Spotted harrier, Circus assimilis

Swamp harrier, Circus approximans

Western marsh harrier, Circus aeruginosus

• Genus Polyboroides

African harrier-hawk, Polyboroides typus

Madagascar harrier-hawk, Polyboroides radiatus

• Genus Geranospiza

Crane hawk, Geranospiza caerulescens

Feeding

Harriers have similar hunting and feeding habits world-wide. When looking for food they fly just above the vegetation, alternately flapping and gliding while the bird is scanning the ground below; when a prey animal is found the harrier suddenly drops on it. Prey includes small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects; bird chicks are taken if the opportunity arises, as well as birds flushed from cover in surprise. Unlike other hawks and falcons, harriers do not pursue birds in full flight.

Breeding

Males are the first to arrive at the nesting territories, where they perform aerial display flights, which include circling, soaring, dives, and loops; these maneuvers inspired the genus name Circus for fourteen of these birds. The females join them later, and after courtship small nests are built on the ground. Three to eight eggs are laid in a clutch, with an incubation period of just over a month. The females do most of the tending to the eggs, with the males hunting and bringing the food which is passed to the females in mid-air.