The pied harrier (''Circus melanoleucos'') is an Asian species of
bird of prey
Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predat ...
in the family
Accipitridae
The Accipitridae is one of the three families within the order Accipitriformes, and is a family of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium-s ...
. It is migratory, breeding from the
Amur
The Amur (russian: река́ Аму́р, ), or Heilong Jiang (, "Black Dragon River", ), is the world's tenth longest river, forming the border between the Russian Far East and Northeastern China ( Inner Manchuria). The Amur proper is long, ...
valley in eastern
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
and north-eastern
China to
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
. Wintering individuals can be found in a wide area from
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
to
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. The population consists of approximately 10,000 individuals and the number is thought to be in moderate decline.
This medium-sized
harrier (length 45 cm/18in, wing span 115 cm/46in)
[James Ferguson-Lees & David Christie (2005). Raptors of the world. Christopher Helm. London, UK] nests in
steppes and associated wetlands. Wintering individuals are often seen hunting above rice paddies and marshes.
Gallery
Image:Pied Harrier I2 IMG 9660.jpg, near Hodal
Hodal is a city and a municipal council in Palwal district in the Haryana state of India. It is located at and has an average elevation of .
Hodal is a Haryana Legislative Assembly constituency segment, within the Faridabad Lok Sabha const ...
in Faridabad
Faridabad is the most populous city in the Indian state of Haryana and a part of Delhi National Capital Region. It is one of the major satellite cities around Delhi and is located 284 kilometres south of the state capital Chandigarh. The ri ...
District of Haryana
Haryana (; ) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 Nov 1966 on a linguistic basis. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with less than 1.4% () of India's land a ...
, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.
Image:Pied Harrier I IMG 9661.jpg, at/ near Hodal
Hodal is a city and a municipal council in Palwal district in the Haryana state of India. It is located at and has an average elevation of .
Hodal is a Haryana Legislative Assembly constituency segment, within the Faridabad Lok Sabha const ...
in Faridabad
Faridabad is the most populous city in the Indian state of Haryana and a part of Delhi National Capital Region. It is one of the major satellite cities around Delhi and is located 284 kilometres south of the state capital Chandigarh. The ri ...
District of Haryana
Haryana (; ) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 Nov 1966 on a linguistic basis. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with less than 1.4% () of India's land a ...
, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.
File:Pied harrier IMG 6459.jpg, Male from Kole Wetlands, Thrissur, Kerala
References
pied harrier
Birds of prey of Asia
Birds of Manchuria
Birds of Mongolia
pied harrier
Taxa named by Thomas Pennant
{{Accipitriformes-stub