The sexes also differ in weight, with males weighing 290 to 400 g (10 to 14 oz), with an average of 350 g (12 oz), and females weighing 390 to 750 g (14 to 26 oz), with an average of 530 g (19 oz). The female is larger than the male because the female needs to produce eggs, however this is not apparent in the field. A female Hen Harrier is a palish brown on top with a very obvious white rump, and they're not colloquially referred to as "ringtails" for nothing. Juveniles are brown with paler heads and breasts. It is one of the most endangered breeding birds of prey in the country; it sometimes feeds on small grouse and fowl (hence its name), bringing it into conflict with gamekeepers and farmers. They have golden brown upperparts and paler grey-brown underparts which are streaked with dark brown. Adult males are predominantly pale gray with a dark-speckled head, blackish back with pale-edged feathers, and black wingtips. The following blog post are simply musings into Identification pointers for those wishing to explore 2cy+ female Northern Harriers in the Western Palearctic or help aid birders who encounter an abnormally striking female Hen Harrier whilst out and about. The hen harrier nests on the ground among the heather of upland moorlands. The Northern Harrier is distinctive from a long distance away: a slim, long-tailed hawk gliding low over a marsh or grassland, holding its wings in a V-shape and sporting a white patch at the base of its tail. Identification. How to identify a hen harrier These large (one-metre wingspan) mottled-brown (female) or light grey (male) birds of prey glide and hover over upland moors and pluck meadow pipits or voles from among the heather. The hen harrier is 41–52 cm (16–20 in) long with a 97–122 cm (38–48 in) wingspan. It is distinguishable from other harriers by its larger size, heavier build, broader wings and absence of white on the rump. The Birder's Market | R e source | Birds of Britain and Europe ID Guide | Birds of Prey | Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus | Identification of Hen Harrier. Females are larger than … Adult females are brown and streaky and lack the bold white rump patch of the similar female Hen Harrier. The Montagu's harrier is a deceptively small raptor, though it appears larger because of its large wing surface compared to small body weight, which gives it a typically buoyant flight. Wingspan: 97–115 cm (38–45 in) The largest of the harriers, the marsh harrier can be recognised by its long tail and light flight with wings held in a shallow 'V'. Female hen harriers are larger than the males.

Each gray-and-white male may mate with several females, which are larger and brown. A common patroller above reedbeds, flying with wings raised in a shallow V-shape. Distinctive foraging behavior and conspicuous white patch on rump in all plumages. Adult male plain mid gray wings with black wingtips and paler belly. Up close it has an owlish face that helps it hear mice and voles beneath the vegetation. Females and immatures are warm brown with streaky breasts. Look out for their aerobatic courtship ‘sky dance’ in which birds call and wheel through the air. Medium-sized harrier, flies with wings held in a V-shape, low over open fields and marshes, listening for rodents lurking below. It resembles other harriers in having distinct male and female plumages. While males are a pale grey colour, females and immatures are brown with a white rump and a long, barred tail which give them the name 'ringtail'. Five long primary ‘finger tips’ prominent in flight. It winters in the lowlands, particularly around the coast, on heathland and on farmland. They have white rumps and a long, barred tail which gives hen harriers the nickname ringtail. The undersides of the wings are a brown and grey chequerboard pattern.