Harrier (bird) explained

A harrier is a member of the genus Circus in the a bird of prey family Accipitridae. Harriers characteristically hunt by flying low over open ground, feeding on small mammals, reptiles, or birds. The young of the species are sometimes referred to as ring-tail harriers. They are distinctive with long wings, a long narrow tail, the slow and low flight over grasslands and skull peculiarities. The harriers are thought to have diversified with the expansion of grasslands and the emergence of grasses about 6 to 8 million years ago during the Late Miocene and Pliocene.^[1]

Taxonomy

The genus Circus was introduced by the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède in 1799.^[2] The type species was subsequently designated as the western marsh harrier.^{[3] [4]} Most harriers are placed in this genus. The word Circus comes from the Ancient Greek κρέξ (kréx) referring to a long legged bird, and is possibly ultimately derived from an onomatopoeia.^[5] The name harrier is thought to have been derived either from Harrier (dog), or by a corruption of harrower, or directly from harry.^[6]

The genera Circus has in the past been placed in the subfamily Circinae but molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that such a grouping is polyphyletic for Accipitrinae.^{[7] [8]} The harrier-hawks in the genus Polyboroides are not closely related and are placed in their own subfamily Polyboroidinae^[8]

Ring-tails

Ring-tail is an informal term used by birders for the juveniles and females of several harrier species when seen in the field and not identifiable to an exact species.^[9] Ring-tail harriers include the juveniles and females of Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus), hen harrier (Circus cyaneus), and pallid harrier (Circus macrourus).

Species

The genus contains 16 species:^[10]

Fossils

• Eyles's harrier, Circus eylesi (prehistoric)
• Wood harrier, Circus dossenus (prehistoric)

External links

• Harrier videos on the Internet Bird Collection
• Harrier videos on the Internet Bird Collection
• Harrier . 13 . 17 . Alfred . Newton . 1 . Alfred Newton.

Notes and References

1. 10.1016/j.ympev.2015.01.013. 25701771. A molecular phylogeny of the harriers (Circus, Accipitridae) indicate the role of long distance dispersal and migration in diversification. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 85. 150–60. 2015. Oatley. Graeme. Simmons. Robert E.. Fuchs. Jérôme.
2. Book: Lacépède, Bernard Germain de . Bernard Germain de Lacépède . 1799 . Discours d'ouverture et de clôture du cours d'histoire naturelle . Tableau des sous-classes, divisions, sous-division, ordres et genres des oiseux . fr . Plassan . Paris . 4 . https://books.google.com/books?id=6uhAAAAAcAAJ&pg=RA3-PA4 . Page numbering starts at one for each of the three sections.
3. Book: Mayr . Ernst . Ernst Mayr . Cottrell . G. William . 1979 . Check-list of Birds of the World. Volume 1 . 2nd . Museum of Comparative Zoology . Cambridge, Massachusetts . 316 .
4. Book: Lesson, René P. . 1828 . René Lesson . Manuel d'ornithologie, ou Description des genres et des principales espèces d'oiseaux . 1 . French . Paris . Roret . 105 .
5. Book: Beekes, Robert . Etymological Dictionary of Greek . 2010 . 9789004174207 . 702, 776.
6. A catalogue of birds observed in South-eastern Durham and in North-western Cleveland. Hogg, John. 1049–1063. The Zoologist. 3. 1845.
7. Book: Mindell . D. . Fuchs . J. . Johnson . J. . 2018 . Phylogeny, taxonomy, and geographic diversity of diurnal raptors: Falconiformes, Accipitriformes, and Cathartiformes . Sarasola . J.H. . Grange . J.M. . Negro . J.J. . Birds of Prey: Biology and conservation in the XXI century . Cham, Switzerland . Springer . 978-3-319-73744-7 . 3-32 .
8. Catanach . T.A. . Halley . M.R. . Pirro . S. . 2024 . Enigmas no longer: using ultraconserved elements to place several unusual hawk taxa and address the non-monophyly of the genus Accipiter (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae) . Biological Journal of the Linnean Society . blae028 . 10.1093/biolinnean/blae028.
9. Web site: Harriers in India: A Field Guide. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://wli.wwt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Harrier-in-India.pdf . 2022-10-09 . live. wwt.org.uk. Wetland Link International. 27 January 2021.
10. Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . Rasmussen . Pamela . Pamela Rasmussen . August 2022 . Hoatzin, New World vultures, Secretarybird, raptors . IOC World Bird List Version 12.2 . International Ornithologists' Union . 6 December 2022 .