NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Swamp Harrier
Circus approximans Peale, 1849
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
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.
Wikipedia contributors, Swamp harrier; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T03:30:55.559371+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Circus approximans Peale, 1849
- Name authority
- Peale, 1849
- Common name
- Swamp Harrier
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Genus
- Circus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderAccipitriformes
- familyAccipitridae Vigors, 1824
- genusCircus Lacépède, 1799
- speciesCircus approximans Peale, 1849
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Circus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus (Linnaeus, 1758) | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Northern HarrierCircus hudsonius (Linnaeus, 1766) | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Long-winged HarrierCircus buffoni (J. F. Gmelin, 1788) | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Cinereous HarrierCircus cinereus Vieillot, 1816 | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Pallid HarrierCircus macrourus (S. G. Gmelin, 1770) | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Malagasy Marsh HarrierCircus maillardi J. Verreaux, 1862 | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Pied HarrierCircus melanoleucos (Pennant, 1769) | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus (Linnaeus, 1758) | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorus (Daudin, 1800) | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Papuan HarrierCircus spilothorax Salvadori & D'Albertis, 1875 | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Circus approximans approximans Peale, 1849 Peale, 1849 | synonym |
| Circus approximans gouldi Bonaparte, 1850 Bonaparte, 1850 | synonym |
| Circus gouldi Bonaparte, 1850 Bonaparte, 1850 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Oceania
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Peale, & Titian Ramsay. (1849). United States Exploring Expedition during the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842, under the Command of Charles Wilkes, U.S.N. Vol. 8: Mammalia and Ornithology, 1st Edition. Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:VG7V. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.