Photo: Koshy Koshy from Faridabad, Haryana, India / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Pallid Harrier
Circus macrourus
Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus) — Birds of Prey of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus) is a member of the Accipitridae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 384 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Accipitriformes
- Family Accipitridae Kites, Hawks, Eagles
- Genus Circus
- Species macrourus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 384 g
- Diet
- Vertebrate hunters
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Endangered
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Pallid Harrier preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Pallid Harrier is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus) belongs to the Accipitridae family of the order Accipitriformes. Its range spans Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL e Europe to c Asia.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 384 g, with a wing length of about 35.1 cm and a tail of around 22.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 6.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pallid Harrier?
The Pallid Harrier is a large bird that weighs around 384 g.
Where does the Pallid Harrier live?
The Pallid Harrier is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL e Europe to c Asia, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Pallid Harrier belong to?
The Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus) belongs to the Accipitridae family, in the order Accipitriformes.
What does the Pallid Harrier eat?
The Pallid Harrier preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Does the Pallid Harrier migrate?
The Pallid Harrier is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Pallid Harrier endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Pallid Harrier make?
1 real field recording of the Pallid Harrier — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Pallid Harrier's range?
The Pallid Harrier has a mapped global range of about 6.2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Accipitridae
A field guide to the Accipitridae family — 254 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.