Cinereous harrier
{{Short description|Species of bird}}
{{Speciesbox
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| image = Circus cinereus -Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil -flying-8.jpg
| image_caption=Male flying in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| genus = Circus
| species = cinereus
| authority = Vieillot, 1816
| range_map = Circus cinereus map.svg
}}
The cinereous harrier (Circus cinereus) is a South American bird of prey of the harrier family. Its breeding range extends from the Tierra del Fuego through Argentina and Chile to Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru and southern Brazil; and across the Andes north to Colombia. The bird's population is declining but due to its large range is not considered vulnerable.{{cite web |url=http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3408 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212074425/http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3408 |archive-date=2013-12-12 |title=Cinereous Harrier (Circus cinereus) - BirdLife species factsheet}} The term cinereous, deriving from the Latin word for ashy, describes its colouration.{{Cite web |url=http://www.arkive.org/cinereous-harrier/circus-cinereus/ |title=Cinereous harrier videos, photos and facts - Circus cinereus | ARKive |access-date=2013-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305040601/http://www.arkive.org/cinereous-harrier/circus-cinereus/ |archive-date=2014-03-05 |url-status=dead }}
Description
The male's plumage is dark grey above with black wingtips and a white rump. The underparts are pale grey, with a rufous streaked belly. The female's plumage is brown above, with a white rump, and cream coloured underneath, with a streaked belly similar to the males. The female is larger than the male with an average size of {{convert|46|cm|in|abbr=on}} compared to the male's {{convert|40|cm|in|abbr=on}}. The wingspan is {{convert|90|-|115|cm|in|abbr=on}}. Since the {{convert|44.5|cm|in|abbr=on}} tail comprises about 56% of this raptor's total length, this species ties with the long-tailed hawk as the raptor with the longest tail relative to its body size.Raptors of the World by Ferguson-Lees, Christie, Franklin, Mead & Burton. Houghton Mifflin (2001), {{ISBN|0-618-12762-3}}
Habitat and ecology
This bird can be found in different open habitats, ranging from lowland marshes to the Andean Altiplano at a maximum altitude of 4000 meters (13123 ft). Like other harriers it nests on the ground. It is usually considered to be sedentary, and may migrate during April and May and returning to breeding grounds between September and October.Gould, J. and Darwin, C.R. (1839) Birds Part 3 No. 2 of The zoology of the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle. Smith Elder and Co
Reproduction
During the breeding season, males and females engage in large aerial courtship displays and chatter very loudly. Eggs are laid in November and fledged by January. Nests are located in vegetation and up to {{convert|40|cm|in}} across and {{convert|30|cm|in}} deep.{{cite book|title=Raptors of the World: An Identification Guide to the Birds of Prey of the World|year=2001|publisher=Houghton Mifflin|location=New York|author1=Ferguson-Lees, J. |author2=Christie, D.A.}}
Diet
Its diet is variable, due to a wide range and variety of habitats. Its usual prey are small rodents and birds, notably chicks of coots and waders, reptiles, amphibians and insects.{{Cite web|url=http://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p_spp=121916|title=Birds of the World - Comprehensive life histories for all bird species and families|date=16 February 2024 }}
References
{{Commons category|Circus cinereus}}
{{Wikispecies|Circus cinereus}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q956372}}
Category:Birds of the Ecuadorian Andes
Category:Birds of the Falkland Islands
Category:Birds of prey of South America
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