img
Birds

Pallid
Harrier

Near Threatened

Decreasing

Pallid Harrier

Circus macrourus

The pallid harrier is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier family. It breeds in southern parts of eastern Europe and central Asia (such as Iran) and winters mainly in India and southeast Asia.

This medium-sized raptor breeds on open plains, bogs and heathland. In winter it is a bird of open country. This is a typical harrier, with long wings held in a shallow V in its low flight. It also resembles other harriers in having distinct male and female plumages.

Adults measure 48 cm long with a wingspan of 120 cm. Males weigh 315 g while the slightly larger females weigh 445 g. The male is whitish grey above and white below, with narrow black wingtips. It differs from the hen harrier in its smaller size, narrower wings, pale colour different wing tip pattern.

The female is brown above with white upper tail coverts. Underparts are buff streaked with brown. It is best distinguished from the female hen harrier on structure. It is very similar to the female Montagu's harrier, but has darker and more uniform secondaries from below.

Pale Harrier

Regional Names
  • Bengali:
    ধলা কাপাসি
  • Gujarati:
    ઉજળી પટ્ટાઇ
  • Malayalam:
    മേടുതപ്പി
  • Marathi:
    शबल पत्री ससाणा, पांढूरका भोवत्या
  • Nepali:
    श्वेत भुइँचील
  • Telugu:
    పిల్లి గద్ద
Media Gallery
Taxanomy

ACCIPITRIFORMES
ACCIPITRIDAE
Circus macrourus

ADVERTISEMENT
Similar Birds

similar Birds you may like

img

African Crowned Eagle

Stephanoaetus coronatus
Read more
img

African Fish-eagle

Haliaeetus vocifer
Read more
img

Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Read more
img

Barred Hawk

Morphnarchus princeps
Read more
img

Bateleur Eagle

Terathopius ecaudatus
Read more
img

Besra Sparrowhawk

Accipiter virgatus
Read more
img

Bicolored Hawk

Accipiter bicolor
Read more
img

Black Eagle

Ictinaetus malaiensis
Read more
img

Black Hawk-Eagle

Spizaetus tyrannus
Read more
img

Black Kite

Milvus migrans
Read more
img

Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle

Spizaetus melanoleucus
Read more
img

Black-collared Hawk

Busarellus nigricollis
Read more
img

Black-eared Kite

Milvus migrans lineatus
Read more
img

Black-winged Kite

Elanus caeruleus
Read more
img

Bonelli's Eagle

Aquila fasciata
Read more
img

Booted Hawk-Eagle

Hieraaetus pennatus
Read more
img

Brahminy Kite

Haliastur indus
Read more
img

Broad-winged Hawk

Buteo platypterus
Read more
img

Changeable Hawk-eagle

Nisaetus cirrhatus limnaeetus
Read more
img

Chinese Sparrowhawk

Accipiter soloensis
Read more
img

Cinereous Vulture

Aegypius monachus
Read more
img

Common Black Hawk

Buteogallus anthracinus
Read more
img

Cooper's Hawk

Accipiter cooperii
Read more
img

Crane Hawk

Geranospiza caerulescens
Read more
img

Crested Goshawk

Accipiter trivirgatus
Read more
img

Crested Hawk-Eagle

Nisaetus cirrhatus
Read more
img

Crested Serpent Eagle

Spilornis cheela
Read more
img

Cuban Black Hawk

Buteogallus gundlachii
Read more
img

Double-toothed Kite

Harpagus bidentatus
Read more
img

Eastern Imperial Eagle

Aquila heliaca
Read more
img

Egyptian Vulture

Neophron percnopterus
Read more
img

Eurasian Buzzard

Buteo buteo
Read more
img

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisus
Read more
img

Ferruginous Hawk

Buteo regalis
Read more
img

Golden Eagle

Aquila chrysaetos
Read more
img

Gray Hawk

Buteo plagiatus
Read more
img

Gray-bellied Hawk

Accipiter poliogaster
Read more
img

Gray-headed Kite

Leptodon cayanensis
Read more
img

Gray-lined Hawk

Buteo nitidus
Read more
img

Great Black Hawk

Buteogallus urubitinga
Read more
img

Greater Spotted Eagle

Clanga clanga
Read more
img

Grey-headed Fish Eagle

Icthyophaga ichthyaetus
Read more
img

Griffon Vulture

Gyps fulvus
Read more
img

Gundlach's Hawk

Accipiter gundlachi
Read more
img

Harpy Eagle

Harpia harpyja
Read more
img

Harris's Hawk

Parabuteo unicinctus
Read more
img

Hawaiian Hawk

Buteo solitarius
Read more
img

Himalayan Vulture

Gyps himalayensis
Read more
img

Hooded Vulture

Necrosyrtes monachus
Read more
img

Hook-billed Kite

Chondrohierax uncinatus
Read more
img

Indian Vulture

Gyps indicus
Read more
img

Indian White-backed Vulture

Gyps bengalensis
Read more
img

Japanese Sparrowhawk

Accipiter gularis
Read more
img

Long-winged Harrier

Circus buffoni
Read more
img

Marsh Harrier

Circus aeruginosus
Read more
img

Mississippi Kite

Ictinia mississippiensis
Read more
img

Montagu's Harrier

Circus pygargus
Read more
img

Nicobar Sparrowhawk

Accipiter butleri
Read more
img

Northern Goshawk

Accipiter gentilis
Read more
img

Oriental Honey-buzzard

Pernis ptilorhynchus
Read more
img

Ornate Hawk-Eagle

Spizaetus ornatus
Read more
img

Pallas's Fish Eagle

Haliaeetus leucoryphus
Read more
img

Pearl Kite

Gampsonyx swainsonii
Read more
img

Plumbeous Hawk

Cryptoleucopteryx plumbea
Read more
img

Plumbeous Kite

Ictinia plumbea
Read more
img

Red-shouldered Hawk

Buteo lineatus
Read more
img

Red-tailed Hawk

Buteo jamaicensis
Read more
img

Ridgway's Hawk

Buteo ridgwayi
Read more
img

Roadside Hawk

Rupornis magnirostris
Read more
img

Rough-legged Hawk

Buteo lagopus
Read more
img

Savanna Hawk

Buteogallus meridionalis
Read more
img

Semiplumbeous Hawk

Leucopternis semiplumbeus
Read more
img

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Accipiter striatus
Read more
img

Shikra

Accipiter badius
Read more
img

Short-tailed Hawk

Buteo brachyurus
Read more
img

Short-toed Snake Eagle

Circaetus gallicus
Read more
img

Slender-billed Kite

Helicolestes hamatus
Read more
img

Snail Kite

Rostrhamus sociabilis
Read more
img

Solitary Eagle

Buteogallus solitarius
Read more
img

Steller's Sea-Eagle

Haliaeetus pelagicus
Read more
img

Steppe Eagle

Aquila nipalensis
Read more
img

Swainson's Hawk

Buteo swainsoni
Read more
img

Swallow-tailed Kite

Elanoides forficatus
Read more
img

Tawny Eagle

Aquila rapax
Read more
img

Tiny Hawk

Accipiter superciliosus
Read more
img

White Hawk

Pseudastur albicollis
Read more
img

White-backed Vulture

Gyps africanus
Read more
img

White-bellied Sea Eagle

Haliaeetus leucogaster
Read more
img

White-eyed Buzzard

Butastur teesa
Read more
img

White-tailed Hawk

Geranoaetus albicaudatus
Read more
img

White-tailed Kite

Elanus leucurus
Read more
img

Zone-tailed Hawk

Buteo albonotatus
Read more