Spotted Harrier
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Order: Falconiformes
Family: Accipitridae
Subfamily: Circinae
Species: Circus assimilis

[Photo] Spotted Harrier (Circus assimilis). Photographed at Lake Samsonvale, SE Queensland, July 2003. Source: Flickr (www.flickr.com/photos/19212060@N00/387759057/). Author: Tom Tarrant, aviceda (www.flickr.com/photos/19212060@N00/).

The Spotted Harrier, Circus assimilis, also known as the Smoke Hawk, is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Its wing length ranges between 375-470 mm, with females being larger.

Identification
Similar to Swamp Harrier, distinguished by grey upperparts, chestnut facial disc and dark rump..

Range
The Spotted Harrier inhabits Sulawesi, the Lesser Sunda Islands and is sparsely distributed throughout mainland Australia.

Habitat
Open country, especially arid and semiarid regions.

Food
Ground birds, rabbits, rodents and lizards.

Nesting
Circus assimilis usually nests in trees, building a platform of twigs lined with green leaves for the clutch of 2-4 eggs. The incubation period is about 33 days, with chicks fledging about 37 days after hatching.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_Harrier

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