Pallid Harrier
Circus macrourus
Also known as: Pale Harrier
Habitat
Ground
Diet
VertFishScav
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
384 g
About This Species
Coursing low over open steppe, grassland, and agricultural plains, this pale raptor hunts with a buoyant, leisurely flight on raised wings held in a shallow V, quartering methodically close to the ground at dawn and dusk to flush small mammals and passerines. Watch for the striking near-white plumage of adult males, the distinct facial mask and streaked underparts of females and immatures, and listen for occasional thin, high-pitched calls at communal roosts where several individuals may gather on migration. The best observations come during April–May and September–October along major migration corridors through Central Asia and the Middle East, particularly on calm, clear mornings when birds are actively hunting over short-grass fields or freshly harvested cereal crops.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Maintain a minimum distance of 200 metres when observing, using a vehicle as a hide where possible, as this species is particularly sensitive to human disturbance at roost and breeding sites.
- Across its range — spanning Central Asia through to southern Africa and South Asia — it receives protection under national wildlife legislation in most countries as well as through international frameworks including the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA), so always check local regulations before visiting known sites.
- Avoid lingering near suspected nest sites on open steppe grasslands during the breeding season (May–July), keep noise to a minimum, and never use playback calls, as repeated disturbance can cause nest abandonment in this already declining Near Threatened species.
Seasonal Activity
124,806 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Accipitridae
Traits
- Diet
- VertFishScav
- Foraging
- Ground
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 384 g
Photo
(c) Avinash Bhagat, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Avinash Bhagat
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.