Long-winged Harrier

ID tip

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Long-winged Harrier

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is October, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Long-winged Harrier

The map shades 14 countries with regular records, and 1 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Recorded as a rare visitor in Peru.

About the Long-winged Harrier

The long-winged harrier is a common bird of prey species endemic to South America. They are members of the family Accipitridae, under the genus Circus which encompasses other harrier species. Its range encompasses most of South America, in grassland and wetland all across the continent. The long-winged harrier is a carnivorous bird, and will feed on many different animals found in its habitat. Like owls and other harrier species, the long-winged harrier has a distinctive facial disc, which is used to triangulate the bird's hearing while it is hunting.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Eastern Marsh HarrierCircus spilonotusIt is 48 to 58 cm long with a wingspan of 113 to 137 cm; like most birds of prey, the female is usually larger than the male. Cinereous HarrierCircus cinereusThe male's plumage is dark grey above with black wingtips and a white rump. African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorusAfrican Marsh harrier females are larger than males and they are 44–47 centimetres (17–19 in) in length, with females being about 30% heavier than males (Simmons and Simmons 2000).

Side by side: Long-winged Harrier vs Pallid Harrier · Lizard Buzzard vs Long-winged Harrier · Eastern Marsh Harrier vs Long-winged Harrier · Cinereous Harrier vs Long-winged Harrier · African Marsh Harrier vs Long-winged Harrier · Long-winged Harrier vs Spotted Harrier