Abstract
Harriers, the hawks in the ‘circling’ genus Circus, occur worldwide. They have acute hearing and a facial disc which apparently augments and funnels sound to their ears. In flight they often quarter low and slowly over grassland close to the ground with their wings held in a characteristic dihedral. Their long legs help them snatch prey from tangled vegetation. Australia has two species, the Spotted Harrier Circus assimilis and the Swamp Harrier Circus approximans. Both species occur in the ACT, but only the Swamp Harrier has been found breeding here (so far) and only one or two breeding pairs are known for the ACT. They nest on the ground in swamps and tall grasslands. Swamp Harriers can be polygamous, one breeding male with two or more females in different nests (Olsen 2014)
Original language | English |
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Pages | 296-298 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Volume | 43 |
No. | 3 |
Specialist publication | Canberra Bird Notes |
Publication status | Published - 2018 |