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Montagu's Harrier

Conservation status

Least Concern

Population Trend

Decreasing

Alternate Names

-

Native Habitat

Wetland, Grassland

Diet

Small Rodents, Small birds, eggs, reptiles

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Montagu's Harrier

Circus pygargus

The Montagu's harrier is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier family. It has a particularly graceful flight, with powerful and elegant wingbeats which give an impression of buoyancy and ease. In true harrier fashion it searches the countryside, flying low, and generally holds its wings with a marked positive dihedral.

Adult males are characterized by their overall pale grey plumage contrasting with black wingtips. Compared with other harriers this species has characteristic black bands along the secondaries, both above and below the wing and rusty streaks on belly and flanks.

Adult females have a broadly similar plumage to that of pallid and hen harriers. The underparts are mostly pale yellow-brown, the belly with longitudinal stripes and the wing coverts spotted. The upper parts are uniform dark brown except for the white upper tail coverts, and the sightly paler central wing coverts.

Regional Names
  • Bengali:
    মন্টেগুর কাপাসি
  • Gujarati:
    પટ્ટી પટ્ટાઇ
  • Malayalam:
    മൊൺടാഗു മേടുതപ്പി
  • Marathi:
    मोंटॅग्यूचा भोवत्या
  • Nepali:
    मोन्टागु भुइँचील
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Taxanomy

ACCIPITRIFORMES
ACCIPITRIDAE
Circus pygargus