PH: in new plumage, the general body colouring has an orange tone, brighter than MH, and with no streaks on the chest, flanks or under coverts. Scientific Name: Circus macrourus. The problem is what it doesn't say, My mother has Alzheimer's - these are 10 foods we both eat to protect brain health, Isabel Oakeshotts betrayal of Matt Hancock is the final nail in the coffin for trust in media, Ed Davey: 'We are locked out of my learning disabled son's savings - the Government won't help', The Spanish town with a unique 'Asnot' festival that mocks Ascot and British culture, If 'disappearing' WhatsApp messages are embedded in Whitehall, scrutiny will vanish too, Do not sell or share my personal information. It was pouring with rain and the Harrier kept very low to the ground as it headed up the reserve. PH: the facial disc is evenly dark and spread, from the nape to the basis of the lower mandible. LOL, Pretty sure they do not breed in the UK yet. Teal 33 Sand Martin 5, Swallow 2 It also had a small white rump with a faint barred tail. It also, winters in Kuwait in small numbers. More rarely they show two clear stripes alike. Field identification of female and juvenile Montagus and Pallid Harriers. Avocet 2 Adults measure 40-48 cm (16-19 in) long with a wingspan of 95-120 cm (37-47 in). Coordinators: Alex Oll, Teresa Montras & Joan Goy Taxonomy: Monotypic Status: Migratory. On four occasions we drove ahead of them, stopped the car for them to catch up and tried to take pictures. It also, winters in Kuwait in small numbers. Unlike a lot of birds of prey, the nest of the pallid harrier is situated on the ground instead of high up in the trees, which is a unique feature of this species and speaks to their preference for hunting and living in open grassy areas. My last UK sighting was at RSPB Salthouse a couple of years ago. Agree with that Aiki,I've been lucky enough to see two separate birds and both will stick in my mind. No wonder that, when the RAF needed a name for their most aerobatic aircraft, they called it the Harrier jump jet. PH: the dark boa around the neck is densely dark, but it usually loses such uniformity with erosion, and theres even those which show it striated with a new plumage. MH: classic birds draw two or three grey stripes at secondary darks, being these thicker alike. But Martin was convinced that we had seen a Pallid, wait till you look in a book and see my photos he said. Highest daily count: 35 on 21/9/2004. 2023 BirdGuides, Warners Group Publications Plc. Junction of Priory Ave/Grange Park, Bristol, England. Weight:235-415 g.,400-550 g. Longevity: < 15 years old. Shoveler 20 Aberdeenshire, Scotland 18.6.22. The pallid harrier breeds in Ukraine and Russia and spends most of the winter in. monitor global seal populations or record large mammal sightings in Gabon. And then it flew past. Alan Wright from the Lancashire Wildlife Trust said: Pallid harriers have been difficult to distinguish from the Montagus harrier in the past and it could be that digital photography is now helping people to distinguish them more easily. MH: in classic birds the dark stripes are thin, almost arranged or organized, and in most cases are quite blurred or non-existing; but this is not only their case. MH: Montagus dont usually show this sort of clear patch at the base of outer primaries, but there are birds which might also show it, at least in a subtle way. Pallid Harriers are a very rare passage migrant to the UK they winter in Africa and breed in areas like Kazakhstan. In case the facial disc is a bit coloured, it doesnt emphasize so much. Galling isn't it! highlighted way as in MH. The pair nested in Marne departement, to the east of Paris, and fledged four young. In one of the most unexpected discoveries of the year, the mother harrier's origins also provided a further fascinating twist in an already remarkable tale. Show Details. Shelduck 37, Natural flood management in West Somerset, How to make a mini wildlife pond from an upcycled container. Harriers are very special birds. Required fields are marked *. We couldnt believe it when we saw it was chasing a stunning male grey Harrier at close range. A nest was built in a wheat field in a largely agricultural landscape, in what is the closest French department to England. In Cardiff. With a juvenile Pallid Harrier being spotted yesterday where I was the day before (just my luck) it got me thinking do they breed in this country? Found in steppes, wet grassland, agricultural areas and other open spaces. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Pallid harrier. Wonderful winter's birding in the East Midlands yesterday. CLARK W.S. Migratory. Previously considered an extreme rarity, it is now an expected annual vagrant that has a habit of appearing in all seasons. Escapee: Exotic species known or suspected to be escaped or released, including those that have bred but don't yet fulfill the criteria for Provisional. 7. from the UK . E.g. All rights reserved. Include your email address in case we need to clarify details. . The primary prey of the pallid harrier is insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, locusts, worms and flies, however the bird is also capable of hunting small birds such as larks as well as small mammals that live in grassy areas such as mice, voles, rats and even lizards in some habitats. The female is obsessed with us and not the male. In the past it has been difficult to distinguish between pallid harriers and another bird, Montagus harrier. The primary prey of the pallid harrier is insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, locusts, worms and flies, however the bird is also capable of hunting small birds such as larks as well as small mammals that live in grassy areas such as mice, voles, rats and even lizards in some habitats. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK. 8. Moments later, it had disappeared behind a distant crowd of birders, who I later discovered had enjoyed spectacular views. Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus , Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus , Male Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus , Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus, young male , Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus, 1st autumn male. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. It is easy to distinguish between male and female harriers, as detailed above in the appearance section, they have vastly different plumage and this coupled with their noticeable size difference makes it very easy to determine which bird is male and which is female which is great for spotting pairs and keeping track of nesting and mating behavior. Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus 1 st autumn female. * Bird News Pro and Bird News Ultimate subscribers receive full sighting details. He also kept saying about the shape of the black on the under wing looked like a Pallid Harrier. As well as in France, 2020 has produced the first breeding record for the Czech Republic. In 2019, the species also bred in Spain for the first time. Our attention was drawn by a Herring Gull yelping and chasing a raptor across the Bull Ground behind us. Presumed Pallid Harrier. * Bird News Pro and Bird News Ultimate subscribers receive full sighting details. ____________________________________________________________________, Yep it's been seen for three days now I managed to get Simon (the original guy to see it) to send a photo to SBSG, there are now a couple more photos from yesterday www.sbsg.org//recent-news, Here's Simon's photos and you can see by his comments he didn't know what he was letting himself in for, his email went into meltdown www.flickr.com//28944108274 and the guys photos on the SBSG website are here www.flickr.com//andyds6, You can understand it going viral. This is the first record for Gloucestershire. hopefully i can attach pics to this if not they are in gallery. Their scientific name is Circus Macrourus, Circus for the fact that they fly in circles and Macrourus for their noticeably long tails! It's a tough question, as it could be argued that a rare bird is simply a lost bird, and so means little in the wider scheme of things. Pallid harriers are very mobile birds, and having travelled thousands of miles to be here, this one was no exception. When applicable, eBird generally defers to bird records committees for records formally considered to be of "uncertain provenance". Male birds are typically 315g in weight (11.1 oz) while the females are slightly larger, as is common among the accipitridae family, and weigh in at 445g or (15.7 oz). But Martin was constantly shouting out while he was watching the bird that it lacked a dark trailing edge to the wing, and that it had only a small amount of black on the wing tip. Lucky you Pete! The feathers of the pallid harrier differ between the sexes as mentioned before. arriers are very special birds. Birds of Kuwait | Bird Sightings from Kuwait 2023. Males are ghostly gray above with black wingtip wedges. All images are Copywritted 2023. Often the nest will be built over a small hollow for added protection for the eggs.The nest is located at ground level due to the fact this species thrives in open grassy terrain where trees are less abundant. Differences in tarsal length between adult female Montagus and Pallid Harriers: an easy method to separate specimens. Since the discovery of regular breeding Pallid Harriers in Finland in 2011, the number of sightings of the species migrating through Spain has markedly increased. The bird also has too much white around the eye socket isolating the ear-covert patch. Mostly brown or sometimes green, but this depends a lot on the health of the bird and what its diet consists of and can vary a little due to this. Aves 50(1): 23-38. Please enter details of your sighting below for our recorder to evaluate. We spend 90% of net income on conservation, public education and advocacy, The RSPB is a member of BirdLife International. Identification of perched Montagus and Pallid harriers. Recentmently, the population of Western Russia has expanded towards Scandinavia, with a small contingent now found in Finland, leading to a new migratory route through Western Europe with wintering grounds in the Iberian peninsula and Morocco. The birds most commonly nest in single pairs but can nest in a larger but loose group of between 3 and 5 pairs which will dominate a territory. 4. The status of Pallid Harrierhas rapidly changed in France in recent years. House Martin 1 (First of the year) Birdwatchers are in a flutter after increased sightings of a bird of prey that is hardly ever seen in Britain. No wonder that, when the RAF needed a name for their most aerobatic aircraft, they called it the Harrier jump jet. Due to the colonisation of pallid harrier towards North West Europe, hybridisation with other harrier species takes place occasionally, often with hen harrier, exceptionally with Montagus harrier. Still a wonderful sight. These count in official eBird totals and, where applicable, have been accepted by regional bird records committee(s). It was in immaculate plumage and was 100% and adult. Pallid Harriers in Northwest Europe and the identification of presumed Pallid Harrier x Hen Harrier hybrids. It also resembles other harriers in having distinct male and female plumages. CLARK W.S., CLARKE R. 1998. MH: the boa is mostly striated and blurred, barely prominent. I was just happy that I had seen this rare wanderer at all. On Sunday he spotted a second. Car Park Wheatear 1 male Chiffchaff 3 Blackcap 1 The Rushy Lesser Scaup 1 House Martin 1 (First of the year) Sand Martin 5 South Lake Swallow 2 Sand Martin 20+ Willow Warbler 1 Black-tailed Godwit 127 Ruiff 2 Redshank 7 Avocet 2 Females are mostly brown on the upper side and lighter brown on the underside of their bodies, with white coverts in their tail feathers and wingfeathers. Submit your sighting. 10.00. Chiffchaff 4 Juvenile birds start their first moult in spring of 2cy, followed by a parcial moult (affecting some body and facial feathers and less extensive thanMontagus harrier)on the wintering grounds. Another has now been seen flying over Lancashire Wildlife Trusts Brockholes Nature Reserve near Preston and is thought to be the first ever seen in the county. This displaying malePallid Harrierwas well watched atDunsop Bridge, Lancashire, in April-May 2017(Michael Roberts). The second brown juvenile Pallid Harrier seen in Guernsey, independently reported this year by Dave Carre and Jamie Hooper. Image taken by Rod Ferbrache. MH: extremely varying in MH. Males are ghostly gray above with black wingtip wedges. Males are quite similar to the hen harrier but are a little smaller in size, with narrower wings and a paler coloration, as well as slightly different patterns in the wing feathers, however this can be hard to distinguish at distance or while the bird is in flight. It may not display this or other websites correctly. I missed one once by 20 minutes when we were out with other people on a survey & they saw it at our lunch spot before we got there. . Their wings are held in a distinctive V shape which makes identification while in flight easy when coupled with knowledge of their appearance and plumage. The wing span of adults is roughly similar, coming in at around 40 to 48cm or 16 to 19 inches. Eggs are usually white in color with some small brown markings occasionally. Have you seen something interesting? But there have been a number of British sightings in recent month from Shetland to Sussex. To filter/search please enter a phrase. 2. The harrier was last seen at 08.30. flying North over the hill to the North of the . In spring, the main flyway runs through the central part of the Mediterranean while in autumn, the route runs through the East of the Mediterranean region. Twitchers gathered on Holy Island in Northumberland after the pallid harrier was spotted in October. They rarely show a similar extension to PH, this causing a severe confusion afterwards. Even though, there are some individuals, especially females, with wide dark stripes identical to PH. 14 Feb 2023. But the fourth British species, the pallid harrier, is so rare that only a score or so have ever turned up here, wanderers from their breeding grounds on the remote Russian steppes. MH: the eyebrow is fluctuatingly wide, usually more than in PH, resulting more prominent as a whole. on tuesday the 26th of april i was very fortunate to spot the first ever sighting in northern ireland of a pallid harrier (female) this has been confirmed on ni birding, irish birding, and ni birds, i was with a friend and had actually been tipped of about the whereabouts of a male hen harrier and were actually looking for them and took pics of