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Harrier (bird)

{{Short description|Genus of birds}}

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About

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{{Automatic taxobox

| name = Circus

| image = Circus aeruginosus Valencia 3.jpeg

| image_caption = Western marsh harrier

| taxon = Circus

| authority = Lacépède, 1799

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision = See text

| type_species = Falco aeruginosus

| type_species_authority = Linnaeus, 1758

}}

A harrier is a member of the genus Circus in Accipitridae, a family of birds of prey. Harriers characteristically hunt by flying low over open ground, feeding on small mammals, reptiles, or birds. The young of the species are sometimes referred to as ring-tail harriers. They are distinctive with long wings, a long narrow tail, the slow and low flight over grasslands and skull peculiarities. The harriers are thought to have diversified with the expansion of grasslands and the emergence of {{C4}} grasses about 6 to 8 million years ago during the Late Miocene and Pliocene.{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2015.01.013|pmid=25701771|title=A molecular phylogeny of the harriers (Circus, Accipitridae) indicate the role of long distance dispersal and migration in diversification|journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution|volume=85|pages=150–60|year=2015|last1=Oatley|first1=Graeme|last2=Simmons|first2=Robert E.|last3=Fuchs|first3=Jérôme}}

Taxonomy

File:Circus cyaneus male perched Berkeley.jpeg, adult male]]

The genus Circus was introduced by the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède in 1799.{{ cite book | last=Lacépède | first=Bernard Germain de | author-link=Bernard Germain de Lacépède | year=1799 | title=Discours d'ouverture et de clôture du cours d'histoire naturelle | chapter=Tableau des sous-classes, divisions, sous-division, ordres et genres des oiseux | language=fr | publisher=Plassan | place=Paris | page=4 | chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6uhAAAAAcAAJ&pg=RA3-PA4 }} Page numbering starts at one for each of the three sections. The type species was subsequently designated as the western marsh harrier.{{ cite book | editor1-last=Mayr | editor1-first=Ernst | editor1-link=Ernst Mayr | editor2-last=Cottrell | editor2-first=G. William | year=1979 | title=Check-list of Birds of the World. Volume 1 | edition=2nd | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=316 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16108956 }}{{Cite book | last=Lesson | first=René P. | date=1828 | author-link=René Lesson | title=Manuel d'ornithologie, ou Description des genres et des principales espèces d'oiseaux | volume=1 | language=French | location=Paris | publisher=Roret | page=105 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/55490188 }} Most harriers are placed in this genus. The word Circus comes from the Ancient Greek κρέξ (kréx) referring to a long legged bird, and is possibly ultimately derived from an onomatopoeia.{{Cite book |last=Beekes |first=Robert |url=https://archive.org/details/etymological-dictionary-of-greek_202306 |title=Etymological Dictionary of Greek |year=2010 |isbn=9789004174207 |pages=702, 776}} The name harrier is thought to have been derived either from Harrier (dog), or by a corruption of harrower, or directly from harry.{{cite journal|url=https://archive.org/stream/zoologist2624lond#page/1054/mode/2up/|author=Hogg, John| title=A catalogue of birds observed in South-eastern Durham and in North-western Cleveland| pages=1049–1063| journal=The Zoologist|volume=3| year=1845}}

The genera Circus has in the past been placed in the subfamily Circinae but molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that such a grouping is polyphyletic for Accipitrinae.{{Cite book | last1=Mindell | first1=D. | last2=Fuchs | first2=J. | last3=Johnson | first3=J. | date=2018 | chapter=Phylogeny, taxonomy, and geographic diversity of diurnal raptors: Falconiformes, Accipitriformes, and Cathartiformes | editor1-last=Sarasola | editor1-first=J.H. | editor2-last=Grange | editor2-first=J.M. | editor3-last=Negro | editor3-first=J.J. | title=Birds of Prey: Biology and conservation in the XXI century | location=Cham, Switzerland | publisher=Springer | isbn=978-3-319-73744-7 | pages=3-32 | url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326086278 }}{{Cite journal | last1=Catanach | first1=T.A. | last2=Halley | first2=M.R. | last3=Pirro | first3=S. | date=2024 | title=Enigmas no longer: using ultraconserved elements to place several unusual hawk taxa and address the non-monophyly of the genus Accipiter (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae) | journal=Biological Journal of the Linnean Society | pages=blae028 | doi=10.1093/biolinnean/blae028}} The harrier-hawks in the genus Polyboroides are not closely related and are placed in their own subfamily Polyboroidinae

===Ring-tails===

Ring-tail is an informal term used by birders for the juveniles and females of several harrier species when seen in the field and not identifiable to an exact species.{{cite web|url=https://wli.wwt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Harrier-in-India.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://wli.wwt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Harrier-in-India.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Harriers in India: A Field Guide|website=wwt.org.uk|publisher=Wetland Link International|access-date=27 January 2021}} Ring-tail harriers include the juveniles and females of Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus), hen harrier (Circus cyaneus), and pallid harrier (Circus macrourus).

File:Montagu's Harrier- Male.JPG displays the signature upswept wings and grassland habitat.]]

Species

The genus contains 16 species:{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | editor3-last=Rasmussen | editor3-first=Pamela | editor3-link=Pamela Rasmussen | date=August 2022 | title=Hoatzin, New World vultures, Secretarybird, raptors | work=IOC World Bird List Version 12.2 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/raptors/| publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=6 December 2022 }}

{{Species table |genus=Circus |authority-name=Lacépède |authority-year=1799 |species-count=sixteen|no-note=y|narrow-percent=75}}

{{Species table/row

|name= Montagu's harrier|binomial=Circus pygargus

|image=File:A Montagu's Harrier male roosting for the night (50971610728).jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Linnaeus|authority-year= 1758 |authority-not-original=yes

|range= Eurasia, winters in Africa and India

|range-image=File:CircusPygargusIUCNver2019-2.png

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/row

|name=Hen harrier |binomial=Circus cyaneus

|image=File:Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) (43999208970).jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Linnaeus |authority-year=1766 |authority-not-original=yes

|range= Eurasia

|range-image=File:Circus cyaneus distribution map.png

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/row

|name=Northern harrier |binomial=Circus hudsonius

|image=File:Circus hudsonius fencepost.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Linnaeus |authority-year=1766 |authority-not-original=yes

|range= North America{{cite journal|doi=10.1186/s40657-016-0052-3|title=Molecular phylogeny, morphology and life-history comparisons within Circus cyaneus reveal the presence of two distinct evolutionary lineages|journal=Avian Research|volume=7|year=2016|last1=Etherington|first1=Graham J.|last2=Mobley|first2=Jason A.|doi-access=free}}

|range-image=File:Circus hudsonius map.svg

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/row

|name= Western marsh harrier |binomial=Circus aeruginosus

|image=File:Western Marsh Harrier- Bangalore, India.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Linnaeus|authority-year= 1758 |authority-not-original=yes

|range= Europe, western Asia; winter range includes Africa and India.

|range-image=File:CircusAeruginosusIUCNver2016 3.png

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies={{Collapsible list |expand=yes |title=Two subspecies |bullets=on

| C. a. aeruginosus (Linnaeus, 1758)

| C. a. harterti Zedlitz, 1914

}}

}}

{{Species table/row

|name=Eastern marsh harrier |binomial=Circus spilonotus

|image=File:Circus spilonotus 232045041.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Kaup|authority-year= 1847 |authority-not-original=

|range= Asia (migratory)

|range-image=

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/row

|name=African marsh harrier |binomial=Circus ranivorus

|image=File:Circus ranivorus.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Daudin|authority-year= 1800 |authority-not-original=yes

|range= southern and central Africa

|range-image=File:Circus ranivorus distribution.png

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/row

|name=Swamp harrier |binomial=Circus approximans

|image=File:Circus approximans -Hamilton Zoo, New Zealand-8a (cropped).jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Peale |authority-year=1849 |authority-not-original=

|range= New Zealand, Australia, Pacific islands

|range-image=

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/row

|name=Papuan harrier |binomial=Circus spilothorax

|image=|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Salvadori & D'Albertis |authority-year=1875 |authority-not-original=

|range= New Guinea

|range-image=File:Circus spilothorax distribution.PNG

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/row

|name=Malagasy harrier |binomial=Circus macrosceles

|image=|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Newton |authority-year=1863 |authority-not-original=

|range= Indian Ocean (Madagascar and the Comoro Islands)

|range-image=

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= EN

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/row

|name= Réunion harrier |binomial=Circus maillardi

|image=File:Papangue Femelle, Route forestière de la Plaine d'Affouche, Parc National de La Réunion.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=J. Verreaux |authority-year=1862 |authority-not-original=

|range= (Indian Ocean) Réunion Island

|range-image=File:Circus maillardi distribution 1973-1975.png

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= EN

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/row

|name= Long-winged harrier|binomial=Circus buffoni

|image=File:Circus buffoni male pale.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Gmelin, JF|authority-year= 1788 |authority-not-original=yes

|range= South America

|range-image=File:Circus buffoni map.svg

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/row

|name=Spotted harrier |binomial=Circus assimilis

|image=File:Circus assimilis flight.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Jardine & Selby|authority-year= 1828 |authority-not-original=

|range= Australia, Indonesia

|range-image=File:Distribution circus assimilis.png

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/row

|name=Black harrier |binomial=Circus maurus

|image=File:Circus maurus.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Temminck |authority-year=1828 |authority-not-original=yes

|range= southern Africa

|range-image=File:Black Harrier Distribution.jpg

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= EN

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/row

|name=Cinereous harrier |binomial=Circus cinereus

|image=File:Gavilán Ceniciento.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Vieillot|authority-year= 1816 |authority-not-original=

|range= South America

|range-image=File:Circus cinereus map.svg

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/row

|name=Pallid harrier |binomial=Circus macrourus

|image=File:A Pallid Harrier Male Roosting (51041721888).jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=S. G. Gmelin |authority-year=1770 |authority-not-original=yes

|range= migratory: eastern Europe, Asia, Africa (winter)

|range-image=File:CircusMacrourusIUCNver2018 2.png

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/row

|name=Pied harrier |binomial=Circus melanoleucos

|image=File:Pied Harrier (Female).jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Pennant|authority-year= 1769|authority-not-original=yes

|range= Asia

|range-image=

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/end}}

=Fossils=

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{Commons category|Circus (genus)}}

  • [http://ibc.lynxeds.com/family/hawks-eagles-accipitridae Harrier videos] on the Internet Bird Collection
  • [http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/familia.phtml?idFamilia=30 Harrier videos on the Internet Bird Collection]
  • {{Cite EB1911 |wstitle=Harrier |volume=13 |page=17 |first=Alfred |last=Newton |short=1 |author-link=Alfred Newton}}

{{Accipitrimorphae|A.|state=collapsed}}

{{Taxonbar|from1=Q3325926|from2=Q207796}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrier (Bird)}}