Swamp Harrier
Circus approximans
- Class
- Bird
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 4,769
- Most observed in
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
The swamp harrier (Circus approximans), also known as the Australasian marsh harrier or Australasian harrier, is a large, slim bird of prey widely distributed across Australasia. In New Zealand, it is also known by the Māori name kāhu. It arrived in New Zealand within the last 700 years, replacing the larger species, the extinct New Zealand endemic Eyles's harrier. The swamp harrier belongs to the subfamily Circinae and genus Circus, which are represented worldwide, except Antarctica. The subfamily and genus are derived from the characteristic behaviour of circling flight during courtship and hawking.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Swamp harrier”.