Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus)

OTHER NAMES: Pale Harrier
Latin Etymology: Circus (bird named for circling flight)  macrourus ("long-tailed")

Juvenile female Pallid Harrier (subspecies ) at Warham Greens, Norfolk - December 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 380g  /  Length: 40-48cm  /  Wingspan: 95-120cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

Breeding from Eastern Europe to the Steppes of Central Asia, the Pallid Harrier is the only European Harrier species to not regularly be found in the UK - the species gets its name from the pale silver grey of the males plumage. In structure it most resembles the Montagu's harrier but the plumage is much more subtly marked. While it is considered Nea Threatened globally, it does seem to be expanding its range to the West, with several pairs breeding in Western Europe in recent years for the first recorded time.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Circus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A rare vagrant
 - A wintering vagrant at Warham in December 2022

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)

OTHER NAMES: Ring-tailed Hawk
Latin Etymology: Circus (bird named for circling flight) hudsonius (of the Hudson Bay)

Adult male Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) in the Alberta, Canada - July 2024

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 350-530g  /  Length: 43-58cm  /  Wingspan: 97-122cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Formerly considered a subspecies of the Hen Harrier, it is the only regularly occuring harrier species of North America and in actuality is more closely related to the Cinereous Harrier of South America than the Hen. Unlike the Hen Harrier in the UK, it is a very widely distributed species found at various times of the year from tundra to tropics.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Circus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

CANADA -Breeds throughout most of Country
  - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: - Seen in Alberta,

UNITED STATES  - Found throughout the Continental United States,
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen from moving car approaching South end of the Bay Area
- CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: Seen in North Dakota

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Pied Harrier (Circus melanoleucos)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Circus (bird named for circling flight) melanoleucos ("black and white")

Adult male Pied Harrier (Circus melanoleucos) at Florican Grasslands, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 250-450g  /  Length: 45cm  /  Wingspan: 115cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

While the harriers found in the UK are primarily various tones of grey and brown, the male Pied Harrier is, as the name suggests, a striking black and white bird.  They are a species with fairly local breeding range, broadly centred around the Amur River, but in Winter head to Southern Asia across a wide range of areas including Kashmir, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.  Their hunting pattern seems to match that of other harriers, but they seem to travel in large flocks on passage.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Circus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer: រអាតក្បាលខ្មៅ ("Black head")

A local Winter visitor.

SINGAPORE / CAMBODIA 2019 TRIP - Two seen at Florican Grassland Reserve

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Circus ("named for circling flight") pygargus ("white rump")

Adult male Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus) on farmland near Madrid, Spain - June 2015

Featured Subspecies: N/A

Weight: 230-440g  /  Length: 43-47cm  /  Wingspan: 105-120cm
UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

  Named after the naturalist George Montagu, this is the smallest of the three main harrier species found in the UK, but more notable perhaps is its rarity. Montagu's Harrier is arguably the most difficult raptor species to see in the UK; only a handful of pairs nest here each year, and due to it's rarity (and thus desirability for egg collectors) all those sites are kept secret from the public.  This means that unless you are in the know, you would have to catch one of the handful of birds on migration - not an easy task.  I chose an easier option, looking for them in Spain where the climate and habitat is much more suitable for this bird, and so they are much more numerous.  On the tour with Luis Sitges, several were spotted throughout the morning, quartering the fields fairly prominently, though always at a fair distance.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Circus
Subspecies: None - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spanish - Aguilucho cenizo ("Ashen Harrier")

Fairly common Summer migrant.

 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: Several seen on farmland near Madrid
 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Several seen from a moving vehicle in both Extremadura and Castille-La-Mancha

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto
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Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Circus (bird named for circling flight) cyaneus ("dark blue/sea blue")

Adult male Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) at Frampton Marshes, Lincolnshire - February 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 290-750g  /  Length: 41-52cm  /  Wingspan: 97-122cm
UK RED LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

One of the three Harrier species found in the UK, the Hen Harrier is more common than the similar looking Montague's, but is arguably the single most persecuted species of bird in Britain.  This is mainly as a result of it feeding on Red Grouse on shooting estates making it very unpopular with Game Keepers, some of whom will shoot, trap or poison them.  As such, it is apparently the bird species most likely to go Extinct in England.  It barely breeds in England at all, its main strongholds being Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Mann, but birds Winter in suitable habitat in England - often moors, farmland and marshes.  As such, if you want to find them in England, it's best to look in Winter.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Circus
Subspecies: none - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Rare breeding species (617 pairs) and scarce Wintering species Migrant

 - Wintering female seen at Oare Marshes in 2012 

SPAIN - Spanish - Aguilucho pálido ("Pale Harrier")
Uncommon Wintering species

 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: A pair seen in the farmlands around Madrid

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)

OTHER NAMES: Marsh Harrier

Latin Etymology: Circus ("circling") aeruginosus ("rusty")

 Adult male Western Marsh Harrier (subspecies C. a. aeruginosus) at Blakenham, Norfolk - May 2022

Featured Subspecies Circus aeruginosus aeruginosus
Weight: 400-650g  /  Length: 43-54cm  /  Wingspan: 115-130cm
UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Despite being by far the most common of the UKs three regular harriers, the Marsh Harrier still isn't a particularly common bird in most places. AS the name suggests, it favours marshland, although it can occasionally be sighted over less specialised wetland. I cannot recommend Elmley Marshes RSPB enough for seeing this species, on my visits I can often see 15+ of these birds in an afternoon. This however does not mean that the views you get of them are as good it must be noted, and unfortunately, despite the number of sightings, they don't necessarily tend to be that close range unless its in fairly low light anyway.  I also encountered this species in Spain, where it appears much more content to hunt over arable fields than it is in the UK.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Circus
Subspecies: C. a. aeruginosus, C. a. harterti

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Scarce but locally common breeding resident. (400 pairs)

 -  Stronghold around the Swale,notably Elmley Marshes and Oare Marshes, Also seen at Rainham Marshes, Nene Washes, Blakenham, Thornham Harbour and other wetland and saltmarsh sites. 

ITALY - Italian - Falco di Palude ("Swamp Falcon")

A localised resident, non-breeder and passage migrant.
 - SICILY 2018 TRIP - Two seen at Fiume Ciane 

SPAIN - Spanish - Aguilucho lagunero ("Lagoon Fight-eagle")

Scarce and Local Resident

 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: Several seen in the vicinity of Madrid 

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Seen frequently throughout most notably at Laguna Del Longar

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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