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Raptor ID, S Poland (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Max S.
- Start date
Southern Viking
Well-known member
First one has moult on the remiges so at least 2cy, second one could be juv but has damage on at least one primary
JayFeatherPL
Well-known member
They're both the same bird: Marsh harrier. Luckily, we can see the colours so we can even tell that's it's a female 
Marsh harrier's features:
-Very long tail,
-Long and narrow wings,
-Short head/neck,
-Short fingers (like in buzzard),
-Five features so the "hand" is rounded (not pointed like in Montagu's & Pallid Harrier),
-Wings held in a V during gliding/soaring.
We can tell it's a female because it's almost completely dark without any evident contrasts with a white, creamy head. It may also be a juvenile, they're very difficult to separate from the female though. Males are completely pale with black primaries and brown body (sometimes the underwing coverts are also brown).
Cheers!
Marsh harrier's features:
-Very long tail,
-Long and narrow wings,
-Short head/neck,
-Short fingers (like in buzzard),
-Five features so the "hand" is rounded (not pointed like in Montagu's & Pallid Harrier),
-Wings held in a V during gliding/soaring.
We can tell it's a female because it's almost completely dark without any evident contrasts with a white, creamy head. It may also be a juvenile, they're very difficult to separate from the female though. Males are completely pale with black primaries and brown body (sometimes the underwing coverts are also brown).
Cheers!
Alexander Stöhr
Well-known member
Hello,
not a confident feature (?), but please note that juveniles are darker, nearly sooty-brown blackish, while (many?) females are slightly paler and browner (still dark).
Your second bird has the spot on ID book colouration of a juvenile bird.
But as said, I dont know, if this is 100% reliable, and wait for Tom and others to comment. Thanks!
(Fiener Bruch near Tucheim, NE-Germany, 31.08.2019)
not a confident feature (?), but please note that juveniles are darker, nearly sooty-brown blackish, while (many?) females are slightly paler and browner (still dark).
Your second bird has the spot on ID book colouration of a juvenile bird.
But as said, I dont know, if this is 100% reliable, and wait for Tom and others to comment. Thanks!
(Fiener Bruch near Tucheim, NE-Germany, 31.08.2019)
