Clean up crew

The swamp harrier/kāhu (Circus approximans) is New Zealand’s largest living bird of prey. The genus Circus gets its name from the Greek word kirkos, meaning “circle”, for the circling flight typical of hunting harriers. The harrier is one native bird that has benefited from human settlement; because they prefer prefer hunting in open areas, land cleared for agriculture is ideal habitat. They feed mainly on carrion, so it’s not uncommon to come across a harrier on the road picking at some unfortunate dead thing. They’ll also hunt mice, rats and other small mammals, along with small birds, lizards, frogs and insects.