Pallid Harrier

Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Conservation

Why in News?

The Pallid Harrier, a bird that migrates from Central Asia, has reached its roosting ground in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu.

Scientific name – Circus macrourus
Habitat – It prefers open habitats such as natural grasslands, dry steppes, bogs, and agricultural areas.
- In India, it prefers grasslands and thin scrub in semi-arid and arid regions and is also found in the high elevation shola grasslands of the Western Ghats.
Distribution – It breeds in southern Europe, Central Asia, and Iran, and winters mainly in Africa, India, and Southeast Asia.
Appearance –
- Size – A medium-sized raptor, measuring 40–48 cm in length with a wingspan of 95–120 cm and weights around 235–550 g.
- It exhibits sexual dimorphism, meaning males and females have distinct plumages.
- Males – Pale or "ghostly" grey above and white below, with narrow black wedges at the wingtips.
- Females – Brown above with white upper tail coverts (earning them the nickname "ringtails") and buff underparts streaked with brown. They have a well-defined facial pattern.
- Juveniles – Rufous (reddish-brown) and have a distinct whitish collar or "boa" around the neck.

Pallid Harrier

Prey – It feeds on rodents, such as mice, voles, lemmings, ground squirrels, small terrestrial birds, also consume lizards, other small reptiles, frogs, and insects, such as locusts and dragonflies.
Conservation Statius –
- IUCN – Near Threatened
- Wild Life Protection Act, 1972 – Schedule IV
Threats – Habitat destruction due to burning (natural and man-caused), conversion into farming lands, or over grazing.

Quick Fact

Harrier Watch Project

It is primarily a scientific and citizen science initiative for monitoring raptor birds in India.
Objective – To monitor the wintering populations of harriers, map their roosting sites, and assess the impact of grassland loss on these species.
Organization – Housed at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) in Bengaluru, India.
Focuses on the conservation of 6 species of migratory harrier raptors that visit the Indian subcontinent during winter -
- 6 species – Western Marsh Harriers, Montagu’s Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Hen Harrier, Pied Harrier, and Eastern Marsh Harriers
Findings – Indicates that the number of harriers is declining due to changing land use patterns and habitat loss.

References