Circus cinereus
The Cinereous Harrier, *Circus cinereus*, is a striking medium-sized raptor endemic to South America, known for its graceful, low-level flight over open grasslands and wetlands. Males are elegantly silver-gray with black wingtips, a white rump, and a distinct white patch on the inner primary; they measure about 40-46 cm in length with a wingspan of 90-115 cm and weigh 310-400 g. Females are larger and browner, with streaked underparts and a more conspicuous facial disc, often weighing 430-550...
Primarily inhabits open grasslands, savannas, pampas, marshes, and agricultural fields from sea level up to 4,000 meters in the Andes.
Feeds primarily on small mammals (rodents, marsupials), small birds, reptiles, amphibians, and large insects, typically captured during low, quartering flight.
Cinereous Harriers are diurnal hunters, typically active from early morning to late afternoon, often roosting communally or solitarily in dense vegetation at night. They employ a characteristic low, buoyant flight, quartering over open terrain with wings held in a shallow V, using both sight and ...
The Cinereous Harrier is widely distributed across much of South America, primarily in the southern and western parts of the continent. Its breeding range extends from central Chile and Argentina east to Uruguay and southern Brazil, and north along the Andes through Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and in...
Least Concern
- The Cinereous Harrier is one of only two harrier species found exclusively in South America, the other being the Long-winged Harrier (*Circus buffoni*). - Males are often described as "ghost-like" due to their pale grey plumage and silent, low flight. - Their owl-like facial disc helps funnel s...