Pallid Harrier
Scientific Name: Circus macrourusMaltese Name: Baghdan Abjad
Family: Birds of Prey (Accipitridae)
Occurence: Scarce
Breeds in Malta: No
Overview:
The Pallid Harrier is the palest and most ghost like harriers of Europe. The male is identified by its white breast and dark sharp wingtip. Females are similar to the Montagu's Harrier with a pale collar while juveniles have a dark band around the hind neck. They all have white rumps. The Pallid Harrier are is part of the group of harriers called Ringtails and this is due to the fact that they have, as already mentioned, a white rump. The Pallid Harrier is quite rare in Europe, migrant in south-east Europe. When migrating in autumn towards Africa, Pallid Harriers drag across the Mediterranean.
Status:
Scarce Migrant. Used to be rarer in the past, with only 2-3 records each year. Then, since the late 90's, sightings started increasing with a total of 27 birds in 2009. Sightings have increased both in Spring and in Autumn, but mostly in Spring. Pallid Harrier has now become a gurantee if you birdwatch frequently in good spots in March/April. Mostly seen in singles or couples.
When to See:
Spring; Throughout March until early April, autumn; mainly in September.
Where to See:
The best two sites to see this harrier in spring are Luqa International Airport and Dwejra as sometimes a few individuals are observed hunting over abandoned fields in search of its prey. In autumn, is mainly recorded at Buskett. May be seen flying over from anywhere.
Photographs:
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Adult Male Pallid Harrier, 2nd April 2010, MIA |
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| Juvenile Pallid Harrier, 12th September 2008, Buskett | Adult Female Pallid Harrier, 16th March 2010, MIA |
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Adult Male Pallid Harrier, 11th October 2010, Buskett |
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