Hen Harrier

(Circus cyaneus)

Order :
Family :
Size :
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Taxonomy :

Description:

Medium-sized harrier with relatively short legs; comparatively broad-winged and stocky. Male has dark grey upperparts, extensive black wing-tips and lacks black secondary bars. Female has broad white band across uppertail-coverts and rather plain head pattern. Juvenile has streaked underparts as female, but with rufous-brown coloration.


Distribution:

Common passage migrant and winter visitor though out Gilgit-Baltistan. Prefers open country in plains and foothills; semi-desert, grassy slopes, cultivation, scrub-covered plains, reed-beds, marshes and lakes. From lowlands up to 3000m.


Behavior:

Normally slow, low foraging flight, relying heavily on hearing prey, which is mainly captured on ground; occasionally takes birds in flight. Diet consists mostly of vertebrates, especially mammals; also takes birds of open habitats like wetlands and grasslands. Birds often predominate, in breeding season. Also takes invertebrates, especially in winter, carrion.


Photo Gallery:


Range & Occurrence:

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Resident Species
Summer Breeder
Winter Visitor
Passage Migrant

Distribution Map of Hen Harrier in Gilgit-Baltistan (Status: )


Seasonal Occurrence of Hen Harrier


Resources:

Birds of Pakistan: Helm Field Guides (R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
The Birds of Pakistan (T. J. Roberts)
Birds of the Indian Subcontinent (C. Inskipp, R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide (P. Rasmussen & J. Anderton)
Birds of India: Collins Field Guide (N. Arlott)
Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan (S. Ali & S. D. Ripley)
Handbook of the Birds of the World (https://www.hbw.com)
The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 6th Edition
iNaturalist BoGB (inaturalist.org/projects/birds-of-gilgit-baltistan)
Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan (http://fb.me/birdsgb)


*Gallery images on this page are shared from flickr.com, and are copyrighted to their respective creators or owners.

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This website is a joint effort of Forest, Parks and Wildlife Department, Government of Gilgit-Baltistan and Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan (an indigenous private initiative) to highlight the diverse birdlife found in the region. All the maps, imagery and photographs in this book are provided by the mentioned individuals or entities with appropriate permissions for public use, Government of Gilgit-Baltistan upholds the copyright of these material on behalf of the owners.
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