Swamp Harrier
Circus approximans
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
- FamilyAccipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
- GenusCircus (Harriers)
- SpeciesCircus approximans (Swamp Harrier)
About the Swamp Harrier
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.
The swamp harrier is largely dark brown, becoming lighter with age, and has a distinct white rump. It hunts by flying slowly, low to the ground, on upswept wings. The body length is 48 to 62 cm (19 to 24.5 in), and the wingspan is 118 to 145 cm (3 ft 10 in to 4 ft 9 in). The recorded weights of adults range from 580 to 1,100 g (1.28 to 2.43 lb). Females are significantly larger than the males. In New Zealand, 54 males averaged 640 g (1.41 lb) and 66 females averaged 870 g (1.92 lb). Going on mean weights and linear measurements, the swamp harrier may be by a slight margin... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Cape Range
Spotted Harrier
Circus assimilis
White-Bellied Sea-Eagle
Haliaeetus leucogaster
Brahminy Kite
Haliastur indus
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Aquila audax
Black-shouldered Kite
Elanus axillaris
Whistling Kite
Haliastur sphenurus
Little Eagle
Hieraaetus morphnoides
Black-breasted Kite
Hamirostra melanosternon
Black Kite
Milvus migrans
Eastern Osprey
Pandion cristatus
Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egmont National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 4 | Tongariro National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 5 | Arthur's Pass National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 6 | Aoraki Mount Cook National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 7 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Maria Island National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 10 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 14 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 15 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 16 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 17 | Cape Range | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 18 | Freycinet National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 19 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 20 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 21 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 22 | Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 23 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |