Harrier, Montagu’s

Conservation status:

Rare Passage Migrant

Description:

Slender build, narrower, longer more pointed wings, longer narrower tail and more buoyant flight helps separation from Hen Harrier. In adult, rear-body slimmer than in Pallid. Male has dark grey back and innerwing, silvery grey outerwing but extensive black wing-tips; one black band on secondaries above and two below; red-brown streaks below dark grey upperbreast. For 1st summer male, see Pallid. 2nd autumn male can show black wedge at wing-tip as result of primary-moult (thus recalling male Pallid). Grey-brown female has rufous-streaked underparts with male-like well spaced dark bands across pale secondaries below (and one above). Primaries below evenly barred from base to tip and trailing edge of hand dark; at close range pale underwing-coverts and axillaries have uniform bold rufous barred pattern (unlike Pallid). Juvenile dark rufous to yellowish ochre below, largely unstreaked (few streaks confined to breast and flanks, absent in juvenile Pallid). Generally, ‘fingers’ and trailing hand below dark, but hand otherwise pale with fine regular barring from base to tip (unlike most young Pallid, which see); lacks distinct pale collar of young Pallid. Rare melanistic phase (both sexes) largely sooty black with pale primary-bases below.