Cinereous harrier

Common Name: Cinereous harrier

Scientific Name: Circus cinereus

Order/Family: Accipitriformes / Accipitridae

Size: Approximately 50-55 cm in length, with a wingspan of 120-135 cm.

Weight: Approximately 530-750 grams.

Physical Description

A medium-sized bird of prey with dark brown plumage on the upper part and white and gray plumage on the lower part. Male and female have similar plumage, but males are smaller.

Habitat

Widespread distribution. There is a greater possibility of observation in the steppe, and in dense grassy scrub in all the four provinces of Magallanes.

Behavior and Diet

It hunts during the day. Its diet comprehends small mammals and birds. Unlike other raptors that hunt from a high position, the Cinereous harrier hunts in low flight over the ground. It moves in wandering and low flights while searching for prey. Once it has detected one, it dives and grabs it while remaining in flight. During the mating season, couples establish hunting and breeding territories, aggressively defending those areas from other members of their species. The male usually performs exhibition flights to mark territory and discourage other males from invading that airspace.

Breeding

Builds nests on the ground and lays from 2 to 4 eggs. Both parents participate in egg incubation and in the raising of the young. In Magallanes, it breeds during the austral summer.

Conservation Status

It is considered of "Least Concern" by the IUCN, as it has a wide distribution and a stable population.