Circus maurus
Silhouette: Shyamal · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The black harrier (Circus maurus) is a medium-sized African harrier whose range extends from South Africa to Botswana and Namibia. It has a wingspan of 105–115 cm (41–45 in) and a body length of 44–50 cm (17–20 in). When perched, this bird appears all black. However, in flight, a white rump and flight feathers becomes visible. Its morphology is comparable to that of other harriers, with narrow wings, a slim body, and a long tail. Male and female plumages are similar, while juveniles have buff underparts and heavily spotted breasts.
In South Africa, the distribution of the black harrier is distinctly polarised in both the Western and Southern coastal plains. Nests are concentrated either along the coastal strip or inland in a more montane habitat. Nests are generally absent from transformed and cultivated lands. There is, however, some evidence from sightings and prey remains that the black harriers do forage in these environments even if they do not breed there.
Black harriers are migratory birds and their annual movements cover the southern half of the land surface of South Africa (including Lesotho) however, there is great individual variability. The... Wikipedia →
Flight call0:23
South Africa · 2022
© Murray Christian · XC723680 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Flight call0:29
South Africa · 2004
© Keith Blomerley · XC202625 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Recording0:09
South Africa · 2025
© Sally Adam · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Coast National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | De Hoop Nature Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black Harrier sighting in Addo Elephant National Park on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 228th most-seen of the 243 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black Harrier in Addo Elephant National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black Harrier sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Black Harrier sightings, Addo Elephant National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in West Coast National Park (South Africa, about 60%) and De Hoop Nature Reserve (South Africa, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black Harrier is recorded against all the birds logged in Addo Elephant National Park (16 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
