Bird Album
Spotted Harrier
Circus assimilis Jardine & Selby, 1828
559 gWeight
The spotted harrier (Circus assimilis) also known as the smoke hawk, is a large Australasian bird of prey belonging to the family Accipitridae.
Busiest months: May–July and September–October · Most records: Australia, Indonesia
Where and when it's recorded
Spotted Harrier has been recorded at 137 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Western Treatment PlantAustralia996 records
- Roebuck Plains StationAustralia398 records
- Finland Road, Paradise WatersAustralia370 records
More places
- Lake EdaAustralia143 records
- Bowra Wildlife SanctuaryAustralia125 records
- Oxley Creek CommonAustralia105 records
- Lake Samsonvale – Golds Scrub LaneAustralia101 records
- Port BundabergAustralia84 records
- Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature ReserveAustralia82 records
- Taylors LagoonAustralia79 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 spotted harrier (Circus assimilis) also known as the smoke hawk, is a large Australasian bird of prey belonging to the family Accipitridae.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Spotted Harrier?
The Spotted Harrier weighs around 559 g.
Where does the Spotted Harrier live?
Its breeding range: Australasia: Sulawesi and Sumba (southwestern Lesser Sundas) and Australia (except Tasmania). It is most often recorded in Australia and Indonesia.
When is the best time to see the Spotted Harrier?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in May, June, July, September and October (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Spotted Harrier endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Spotted Harrier as Least Concern.
What does the Spotted Harrier eat?
Main food: Vertebrate prey.
What family is the Spotted Harrier in?
It belongs to the family Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae), order Accipitriformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 559 g
- Habitat
- Grassland
- Diet
- Vertebrate prey
- Lifestyle
- Feeds in the air
- Migration
- Partial migrant
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 422 mm
- Tail
- 271 mm
- Bill
- 36 mm
- Tarsus
- 95 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Australasia: Sulawesi and Sumba (southwestern Lesser Sundas) and Australia (except Tasmania)
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Kites, Hawks, Eagles Accipitridae
- Genus
- Circus
Other birds in the genus Circus
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
Papuan HarrierCircus spilothorax
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by scottytar. ↗
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