---
title: "Swamp Harrier"
description: "Circus approximans — Uccelli. The swamp harrier (Circus approximans), also known as the Australasian marsh harrier or Australasian harrier, is a large, slim bird of prey widely distributed across Australasia."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/it/animal/swamp-harrier
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Swamp Harrier

> Circus approximans — Uccelli. The swamp harrier (Circus approximans), also known as the Australasian marsh harrier or Australasian harrier, is a large, slim bird of prey widely distributed across Australasia.

- Scientific name: *Circus approximans*
- Category: `birds` (Uccelli)
- Habitats: `freshwater` (Laghi e fiumi)
- iNaturalist observations: 8258
- Wikidata: [Q605827](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q605827)
- iNaturalist taxon: [5168](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/5168)

## Names

- en: Swamp Harrier
- de: Sumpfweihe
- es: Aguilucho lagunero del Pacífico
- fr: Busard de Gould
- nl: Australische bruine kiekendief
- pt: Tartaranhão-dos-pauis-do-pacífico
- pl: Błotniak moczarowy

## Countries with the most observations

NZ (3239), AU (2859), FJ (41), PF (41), NC (22), VU (18)

## Summary

The swamp harrier (Circus approximans), also known as the Australasian marsh harrier or Australasian harrier, is a large, slim bird of prey widely distributed across Australasia. In New Zealand, it is also known by the Māori name kāhu. It arrived in New Zealand within the last 700 years, replacing the larger species, the extinct New Zealand endemic Eyles's harrier.
The swamp harrier belongs to the subfamily Circinae and genus Circus, which are represented worldwide, except Antarctica. The subfamily and genus are derived from the characteristic behaviour of circling flight during courtship and hawking.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swamp_harrier

## Photo

![Swamp Harrier](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/swamp-harrier/medium.jpg)

Photo: marsyd · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/194726767

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/swamp-harrier?lang=it` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).