Raptor ID Challenge - Intermediate female harrier

It took us some discussion due to some of the feature. However this is great for id learning. Before we review the identification and the reason why we lean towards the id please take some time to look and have the reason on your own. We will provide the answer soon.

ANSWER AND DISCUSSION

Honestly, this require some evaluation to the streaked detail. It was rather challenging as different people have provided different point to this. So let’s start with the head. As we can see the head is overall dark or brownish and little sign of distinctive facial disk. Another crucial detail here to note at is the throat which is unstreak. In Pied Harrier, the facial disk is more distinctive and the throat is streak or mark and not brown as in this picture. The area of cheeked is also brown. In Pied Harrier the area surrounding the eye shall be pale to white at time the feature is distinctive enough to create a boarder around it. In Eastern Marsh Harrier this feature is brownish all over as in this picture. For idea of the head see this picture below.

Pied Harrier

Moving downwards to the underbody, you can see in this picture that the streak is narrow. The side of the body streaking restricted only to the lower break and not extended lower. This feature is common in Eastern Marsh Harrier. In Pied Harrier, the female streak on the side of body shall extended all the way down as in the picture above. The marking of the steak are also thicker and also all the way down to lower body and more elongated. The only part which is absent of streaking is the thigh. This feature however requires a careful observation as when the feature ruffle up, the thigh may at time appear mark but was actually the feather of the side of body. See picture below.

Pied Harrier

Moving lower let have a look on the leg. The leg colour is solid yellow distinctive to very young pied(only some) and also Eastern Marsh Harrier. Majority of adult pied will show some orangish tinge in the yellow leg. See picture Above for batter understanding. 

 

Moving on to the wing. The streaking on the wing covert is distinctive to Eastern Marsh Harrier. Narrower and the streaking is random and not well arrange. In Pied Harrier, they streaking are more rufous and more important is that they are more well arrange and appear to be in one line. This feature more crucial if you see the first line the covert meeting the flight feather which will always arrange in a line bordering the two part of the bird. This feature is completely differ with Eastern Marsh Harrier. Eastern Marsh Harrier can be also completely absent of any marking on the underwing covert. See photo below.

Eastern Marsh Harrier

Another jizz we can used however for less experience lets forget about this is the bill/. The bill in this picture look solid large and make the bird appear strong. This feature mainly for the Marsh Harrier and not the Pied Harrier. 

Eastern Marsh Harrier

There you go. The answer to the Harrier in the picture is an Eastern Marsh Harrier compare to earlier identified as Pied Harrier.