Pallid Harrier - Circus macrourus
Open steppe land has increased dramatically on what was formerly semi-usable farmland in areas along the great rolling plains of Kasakstan, Ukaraine, Poland Slovakia and Hungary. We can expect to see a progressive shift of breeding area and subsequent migratory birds taking routes southwards through Germany, France, Portugal and Spain via The Strait of Gibraltar to their wintering grounds in Africa.
In short, we will probably see more birds coming through this area in Spain, later than Monty's and perhaps like last year's Pallids may spend some time in Andalucia. I suppose the weather will have lot to do with such.
Their size is: Length 40–50 cm (15.5–19.5 in), wingspan 97–118 cm (38–46 in), weight 315–445 g (12.5–18). The female larger than male as in most birds of prey
Pallid Harriers have very long and narrow wings and tails. Their fifth primary feather is shortened. They look light and lanky and although their flight is light it is heavier than a Montagu’s Harrier’s. Mature males resemble male Hen Harriers in colouring at a distance, except that the black markings near their wingtips are narrower and wedge-shaped (only black on primaries 2–6), and less glossy on their upper wings. Males also have light bellies with young males showing a grey shadow on the head with a light collar. This fades the older the adult male becomes.
Although I'm showing an adult male on this page, there is a blog (FinnsticksBlog that is...) entry covering another juvenile Pallid in Cadiz province last winter here, that shows a juvenile bird. I also added a compilation photo of distant shots of this autumn's bird, the same male as above on the slideshow opposite.
Mature Pallid Harrier females also resemble Hen or Montagu’s Harriers. They are best separated in the field from female Hen Harriers by their general structure, and from female Montagu’s by their almost uniformly dark brown primary coverts and the denser dark streaking across their underwings. The lighter colouring beneath the markings on their wing coverts also darkens gradually towards their body.
Juvenile Pallid Harriers are darker than mature females, and their underparts are an almost unmarked reddish brown (compared to brown and streaked in juv. Hen Harrier). They are best distinguished from similar young Montagu’s by their pale yellowish unstreaked neckbands. The sides of their necks are a uniform dark brown, contrasting clearly with the lighter markings around their eyes, although this is often not as pronounced as in juvenile Montagu's Harrier.
Comments
George Thomson
December 18th 2011 at 21:32