
Papuan Harrier
Circus spilothorax Salvadori & D'Albertis, 1875
47–54 cmLength559 gWeight
The Papuan harrier (Circus spilothorax) is a bird of prey native to New Guinea which belongs to the harrier genus Circus.
Busiest months: July–August · Most records: Papua New Guinea, Indonesia
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: July–August · Most records: Papua New Guinea, Indonesia
Papuan Harrier has been recorded at 17 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Tari GapPapua New Guinea87 records
- Ambua LodgePapua New Guinea50 records
- Highlands Hwy – above Ambua Lodge to Tari GapPapua New Guinea35 records
More places
- Rondon Ridge LodgePapua New Guinea25 records
- Kumul LodgePapua New Guinea25 records
- Brown River/Vanapa River lowlandsPapua New Guinea7 records
- Tonga TrailPapua New Guinea7 records
- Rondon RidgePapua New Guinea7 records
- Pacific Adventist UniversityPapua New Guinea4 records
- Boystown Road – Bowerbird HillPapua New Guinea2 records
Countries and regions with the most records
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 Papuan harrier (Circus spilothorax) is a bird of prey native to New Guinea which belongs to the harrier genus Circus. It was classified as a subspecies of the eastern marsh harrier (Circus spilonotus) of eastern Asia.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Papuan Harrier?
The Papuan Harrier is about 47–54 cm long and weighs around 559 g.
Where does the Papuan Harrier live?
Its breeding range: Australasia: west-central to southeastern New Guinea. It is most often recorded in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
When is the best time to see the Papuan Harrier?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in July and August (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Papuan Harrier endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Papuan Harrier as Least Concern.
What does the Papuan Harrier eat?
Main food: Vertebrate prey.
What family is the Papuan Harrier in?
It belongs to the family Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae), order Accipitriformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 47–54 cm
- Weight
- 559 g
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Diet
- Vertebrate prey
- Lifestyle
- Feeds in the air
- Migration
- Migratory
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 377 mm
- Tail
- 216 mm
- Bill
- 35 mm
- Tarsus
- 89 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Australasia: west-central to southeastern New Guinea
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Kites, Hawks, Eagles Accipitridae
- Genus
- Circus
Other birds in the genus Circus
Spotted HarrierCircus assimilis
Pallid HarrierCircus macrourus
Black HarrierCircus maurus
Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
Northern HarrierCircus hudsonius
Cinereous HarrierCircus cinereus
Long-winged HarrierCircus buffoni
Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
Pied HarrierCircus melanoleucos
Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorus
Eastern Marsh HarrierCircus spilonotus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by (c) Thorhold Souilljee, all rights reserved. ↗
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