Taxonomy
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Birds
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genre: Circus
Species: Circus aeruginosus
Conservation Status of the Species in Portugal and Worldwide
Portugal
World
Features and
Habits
In terms of size, it has a length of 48 to 56 cm and a wingspan of 115 to 130 cm. Regarding its plumage, the male has a brownish body and grayish wings with dark tips, while the female is uniformly dark brown with a cream-colored head and "shoulders". It flies over swampy areas close to the ground, patrolling, so that when it detects prey it dives quickly to catch it. This predation technique is called "sapar", which is the reason behind the name of this bird.
It feeds mainly on small mammals and birds, larger insects, and occasionally reptiles and amphibians. It nests by building nests directly on the ground, hidden in dense vegetation. The nests are made of locally available plant material, usually rushes. The nesting season is between April and July. It lays between 3 and 5 eggs, which take 28 to 30 days to hatch.
Habitat and Distribution
It is a resident bird, present in Portugal throughout the year. It is locally common along the entire coastal area, the Tagus River, and the Alentejo region. Its habitat is primarily in wetlands with shallow water and emergent vegetation, such as marshes, salt marshes, reed beds, and coastal lagoons. The area of the country with the most sightings is the Tagus estuary, followed by the Alentejo, Ria de Aveiro, and the Mondego estuary.
Places where I have photographed this species so far.
All Photographs Taken
