Black Harrier (Circus maurus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Black Harrier

Circus maurus (Temminck, 1828)

509 gWeight

The black harrier (Circus maurus) is a medium-sized African harrier whose range extends from South Africa to Botswana and Namibia.

Busiest months: September–November · Most records: South Africa, Lesotho

Endangered

Where and when it's recorded

Black Harrier has been recorded at 24 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. West Coast NPSouth Africa763 records
  2. West Coast NP – Abrahamskraal hideSouth Africa179 records
  3. West Coast NP – Seeberg hideSouth Africa166 records
More places
  1. West Coast NP – Geelbek hides vicinitySouth Africa156 records
  2. De Hoop Nature ReserveSouth Africa125 records
  3. Darling Hills/Groote Post RoadSouth Africa81 records
  4. Wakkerstroom areaSouth Africa20 records
  5. Karoo NPSouth Africa7 records
  6. Wakkerstroom Wetland NRSouth Africa5 records
  7. Kliphoek Salt PansSouth Africa5 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South AfricaLesotho

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The black harrier (Circus maurus) is a medium-sized African harrier whose range extends from South Africa to Botswana and Namibia. It has a wingspan of 105–115 cm (41–45 in) and a body length of 44–50 cm (17–20 in). When perched, this bird appears all black.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Black Harrier?

The Black Harrier weighs around 509 g.

Where does the Black Harrier live?

Its breeding range: Africa: Namibia and South Africa. It is most often recorded in South Africa and Lesotho.

When is the best time to see the Black Harrier?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September, October and November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Black Harrier endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black Harrier as Endangered.

What does the Black Harrier eat?

Main food: Vertebrate prey.

What family is the Black Harrier in?

It belongs to the family Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae), order Accipitriformes.

At a glance

Weight
509 g
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Vertebrate prey
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Endangered
More measurements
Wing
352 mm
Tail
249 mm
Bill
32 mm
Tarsus
72 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: Namibia and South Africa

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Kites, Hawks, Eagles Accipitridae
Genus
Circus

Other birds in the genus Circus

Spotted HarrierSpotted HarrierCircus assimilisPallid HarrierPallid HarrierCircus macrourusHen HarrierHen HarrierCircus cyaneusNorthern HarrierNorthern HarrierCircus hudsoniusCinereous HarrierCinereous HarrierCircus cinereusLong-winged HarrierLong-winged HarrierCircus buffoniMontagu's HarrierMontagu's HarrierCircus pygargusPied HarrierPied HarrierCircus melanoleucosWestern Marsh HarrierWestern Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosusAfrican Marsh HarrierAfrican Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorusEastern Marsh HarrierEastern Marsh HarrierCircus spilonotusPapuan HarrierPapuan HarrierCircus spilothorax
Black Harrier

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Marie Delport. ↗

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