Circus ranivorus
The African Marsh Harrier (Circus ranivorus) is a distinctive medium-sized raptor, measuring approximately 44-50 cm (17-20 in) in length with a wingspan of 100-130 cm (39-51 in) and weighing between 320-670 g (11-24 oz), with females typically larger. Its plumage is predominantly dark brown above, with streaky rufous-brown underparts, a conspicuous white rump, and dark trailing edges to the underwings, creating a striking contrast in flight. Juvenile birds are generally darker and unstreaked ...
This harrier is exclusively tied to freshwater wetlands, including extensive marshes, reedbeds, swamps, and floodplains, often at low to moderate elevations.
Their diet primarily consists of frogs, earning them their scientific name ('ranivorus' meaning frog-eating), but also includes small birds, rodents, reptiles, and large insects, captured with their characteristic low quartering flight.
African Marsh Harriers are diurnal hunters, spending much of the day in their characteristic low-level quartering flight over wetlands, before typically roosting communally or individually within dense reedbeds at night. Their primary foraging strategy involves buoyant, slow flight close to the g...
The African Marsh Harrier is widely distributed across Sub-Saharan Africa, predominantly as a resident species with some localized nomadic movements in response to water availability. Its range extends from South Africa northwards to Ethiopia and Senegal, encompassing a vast array of wetland habi...
Least Concern
- The scientific name 'ranivorus' literally means 'frog-eating', a testament to their preferred diet. - Unlike many raptors that soar high, African Marsh Harriers are masters of low-level, buoyant flight, often just a few feet above the marsh vegetation. - Their wings are typically held in a shal...