Photo: Aviceda / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Birds of Prey

Spotted Harrier

Circus assimilis

Spotted Harrier (Circus assimilis) — Birds of Prey of Australia & Oceania.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 18 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Australia Birds of Indonesia Birds of Australian Capital Territory Birds of New South Wales Birds of Northern Territory Birds of Queensland Birds of South Australia Birds of Victoria Birds of Western Australia

By family

Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Australia Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Indonesia Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Australian Capital Territory Hawks, Eagles & Kites of New South Wales Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Northern Territory Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Queensland Hawks, Eagles & Kites of South Australia Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Victoria Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Western Australia

See what's near you right now

The Spotted Harrier (Circus assimilis) is a member of the Accipitridae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 559 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Accipitriformes
Family Accipitridae Kites, Hawks, Eagles
Genus Circus
Species assimilis

Where it lives

Sulawesi and Sumba (southwestern Lesser Sundas) and Australia (except Tasmania)

Australia & Oceania

Quick facts

Weight: 559 g
Diet: Vertebrate hunters
Family: Accipitridae
Order: Accipitriformes
Habitat: Grassland & open country

How to identify

Similar birds

Endangered

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Spotted Harrier preys mainly on other vertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of open grassland, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.

Migration

The Spotted Harrier is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

The Spotted Harrier (Circus assimilis) is a member of the Accipitridae family, within the order Accipitriformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Sulawesi and Sumba (sw Lesser Sundas) and Australia (except Tasmania).

It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 559 g, with a wing length of about 42.2 cm and a tail of around 27.1 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 7.8 million km².

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Spotted Harrier?

The Spotted Harrier is a large bird that weighs around 559 g.

Where does the Spotted Harrier live?

The Spotted Harrier is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Sulawesi and Sumba (sw Lesser Sundas) and Australia (except Tasmania), where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.

What family does the Spotted Harrier belong to?

The Spotted Harrier (Circus assimilis) belongs to the Accipitridae family, in the order Accipitriformes.

What does the Spotted Harrier eat?

The Spotted Harrier preys mainly on other vertebrates.

Does the Spotted Harrier migrate?

The Spotted Harrier is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

Is the Spotted Harrier endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

How large is the Spotted Harrier's range?

The Spotted Harrier has a mapped global range of about 7.8 million km².