Eastern Marsh-harrier (Circus spilonotus)

Other Names (World)
Eastern Marsh-Harrier, Spotted Marsh-Harrier, Spotted-backed Harrier, Papuan Harrier, Eastern Marsh Harrier

Family
Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles)

Size
48 - 56 cm
Wingspan: 115 - 145 cm

First Described (Guide)
Kaup, 1847

Habitat
Marshes, swamps, lake edges, paddyfields, grasslands, pastures. From sea-level - 1,100 m.

Range (Guide)

Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China (mainland) (B), Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia (B), Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia (B), Myanmar, North Korea, Papua New Guinea (B), Philippines, Russia (Asian) (B), Singapore, Taiwan (China), Thailand, Vietnam.

Vagrant to Northern Mariana Islands.

Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.

Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Habits
Flies low over grasslands and paddyfields.

Food
Small invertebrates, fish, large insects.

Voice
A loud, short 'kiiioo', uttered during the breeding season. Otherwise usually silent.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (4)...)

Eastern Marsh Harrier (Circus) [XC423776]
by Lim Ying Hien from Rashaant, Bulgan, Mongolia (display flight)

Eastern Marsh Harrier (Circus) [XC840873]
by Jarmo Pirhonen from Hengsha Island, Shanghai, Chongming, China (call, flight call)

Subspecies
Forms superspecies with Western Marsh-harrier (Circus aeruginosus), African Marsh-harrier (Circus ranivorus), Swamp Harrier (Circus approximans) and Reunion Marsh-harrier (Circus maillardi). Often considered a subspecies of Western Marsh-harrier (Circus aeruginosus).

The following 2 subspecies are recognised:

spilonotus Kaup, 1847 - Eastern and south-eastern Asia.
spilothorax Salvadori & D'Albertis, 1875 - New Guinea. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Papuan Harrier (Circus spilothorax).

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Eastern Marsh-harrier (Circus spilonotus) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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