Cinereous Harrier vs Montagu's Harrier

Circus cinereus compared with Circus pygargus

Key Differences

• Cinereous Harrier is Least Concern while Montagu's Harrier is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cinereous Harrier	Montagu's Harrier
Kingdom same	Animalia (hayvan)	Animalia (hayvan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Kordalılar)	Chordata (Kordalılar)
Class same	Aves (kuş)	Aves (kuş)
Order same	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)
Family same	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)
Genus same	Circus	Circus
Species	Circus cinereus	Circus pygargus

Evolutionary Relationship

Cinereous Harrier and Montagu's Harrier share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Circus.

Conservation Status

Cinereous Harrier

LC — Least Concern

Montagu's Harrier

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cinereous Harrier	Montagu's Harrier
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cinereous Harrier

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Norway.

Montagu's Harrier

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and temperate grasslands and steppes within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Cinereous Harrier

The cinereous harrier (Circus cinereus) is a medium-sized raptor in the family Accipitridae, found across South America, with a breeding range extending from Colombia and Venezuela south through the Andes and adjacent lowlands to Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands. It inhabits open grasslands, marshes, reedbeds, agricultural areas, and the high puna grasslands of the Andes, hunting low over the ground for small birds, rodents, lizards, and frogs. Like other harriers, the cinereous harrier exhibits marked sexual dimorphism: males are pale gray with black wingtips and a white rump, while females are brown and heavily streaked. The species undertakes seasonal migrations, with southern breeding populations moving northward in the austral winter. The cinereous harrier is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, reflecting its wide South American range and adaptability to a variety of open habitats. It is entirely absent from Europe and occurs nowhere near Norway; database records to the contrary are artifacts. Threats include habitat loss from wetland drainage, conversion of native grasslands to intensive agriculture, and persecution from farmers who incorrectly blame harriers for poultry losses. The species can adapt to agricultural landscapes including rice paddies and open pastures, which provides some buffer against habitat loss.

Montagu's Harrier

Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus) is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List. Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild due to severe population decline and habitat loss.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway