Circus assimilis
3 Spotted Harrier at Canberra, ACT
Identify this sighting
| Circus assimilis | Liam.m | 16 Feb 2026 | |
| Unverified | TimL | 15 Feb 2026 |
Please Login or Register to identify this sighting.
User's notes
A fortuitous sighting. The bird flew low over the lion enclosure and circled above it causing the young female lion to chase after it.
3 comments
16 Feb 2026
Wow, I thought it was a Swamp Harrier. @Liam.m is this bird in "post-juvenile moult" as depicted in CSIRO's Australian Bird Guide?
20 Feb 2026
@HelenCross, this bird is definitely a juvenile, but I don't think it has entered post-juvenile moult yet (looks like reasonably fresh plumage), or if it has, it isn't very far along.
Location information
- Coordinates 149.069910-35.300203
- Altitude 553.6m
- Maps National Zoo and Aquarium
- Places Canberra, ACT
Sighting information
- 1 Abundance
- 10 Feb 2026 11:06 AM Recorded on
- TimL Recorded by
Collections
- TimL NatureMapr Canberra & Southern Tablelands Circus assimilis Featured NSW Government Priority Species Birds of prey Birds
Species information
- Circus assimilis Scientific name
- Spotted Harrier Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Vulnerable *
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 568.69m Recorded at altitude
Seasonal activity
-
Was this a nesting or breeding site?
JFMAMJJASOND
Record quality
Quality score
5 / 7
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- GPS evidence of location
- Description
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- Additional attributes