Africa Wild Bird Book

[Sharifa]

165. African Marsh-Harrier Circus ranivorus (Afrikaanse Paddavreter; Afrikaanse Vleivalk)
Order: Accipitriformes. Family: Accipitridae



Description
Medium to small raptor. Length - 44-50 cm. Wingspan - about 100 cm. Weight - 382-590 g, females are larger.
A brown harrier with a variable amount of pale streaking on the head, back, chest and flanks, and pale dappling on the "shoulder" of the folded wing. The belly and leggings are rufous. Small white spots outline the owl like facial disc typical of Harriers. The eyes, cere and legs are yellow. The sexes are similar, but females are often darker on the upper parts and more rufous on the underparts. The males are slightly greyer on the base of the flight feathers and the upper tail.
Juvenile has a pale, creamy head and a creamy leading edge to the upperwing.
Similar species: Differs from female Western Marsh Harrier by lacking the well-demarcated white crown and throat, and by having barring on flight feathers and tail. Distinguished from female Pallid Harrier and Montagu's Harrier by its larger size and broader wings, and by the lack of a white rump.
The juvenile is similar to the female and juvenile Western Marsh Harrier in that it is chocolate brown with buff shoulders on the folded wing and a variable amount of buff on the nape and throat, it shows a pale bar across the breast and has barred flight feathers and tail. Barring is not always easily.

Distribution
Occurs in sub-Saharan Africa, from Uganda, Kenya, eastern DRC, Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi to South Africa. In southern Africa, it is locally common in northern Botswana, the Caprivi Strip (Namibia), Zimbabwe, eastern Mozambique and South Africa (excluding the arid Karoo and Kalahari).
Its strongholds in southern Africa are the extensive marshes of the Okavango and eastern Caprivi, the coastal and upland wetlands of KwaZulu-Natal and the fynbos biome of the southern and southwestern Cape Province.

Habitat
It generally favours inland and coastal wetlands. It nests in extensive reedbeds or in short sedge areas and fynbos vegetation. Birds forage over reeds, lake margins, floodplains and occasionally even woodland.

Diet
Hunts on the wing by slowly quartering 5-10 meters above the ground. On hearing or seeing prey among the vegetation it checks suddenly and drops down with legs extended. Often catches birds in flight after surprising them by flying rapidly along a stream bed. May catch fish in shallow water. Also attracted to carrion and leftovers of other Raptors kills.

Breeding
Monogamous, highly territorial solitary nester, in fact in intense territorial disputes an individual may lock talons with another bird and spiral to the ground. The pair bond is strong, as pairs may breed in the same territory over many breeding seasons. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a shallow platform of grass and reed stems on a platform of sticks. This structure is typically placed in reeds near or over water, often in a large wetland; it may also position it in sedges, fynbos or even in a wheat field adjacent to a wetland. Egg-laying season is all months, but mainly January to July in the North East and August to November in the South West. Cluth size is two to five eggs, incubated for 31-34 days by female only, while the male feeds her at the nest. The nestling is fed for 38-41 days by female only. The young leave the nest at about 38-45 days old, becoming fully independent roughly 29-45 days later.

Status
Locally common resident. Although the African Marsh Harrier is regarded as Least Concern globally, within South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland it was classified as Vulnerable in 2000. Endangered in Namibia. The biggest threat to this wetland specialist is the gradual, creeping disappearance and degradation of suitable habitat. Drainage of wetlands, pollution of water bodies with agricultural and urban run-off, encroachment of wetlands by alien trees, inappropriate burning patterns in the reedbeds in which they breed, and grazing pressure when cattle utilize wetlands. During the breeding season, African Marsh Harriers are intolerant to human disturbance, and readily abandon breeding attempts.

[Sharifa]

165. African Marsh-Harrier Circus ranivorus (Afrikaanse paddavreter; Afrikaanse vleivalk)







Behaviour
Solitary or in pairs. Prefers permanent marshes and vleis where it is often seen coursing low over the vegetation on wings held in shallow V. Usually silent except when alarmed or at the nest.

Origin of name
Kirkos in Greek means harrier and circus in latin means circle, referring to the habit of harriers flying to and from. Ranus is a frog and vorare means to eat in Latin. In spite of this name, small mammals and birds, rather than frogs, make up most of its diet.

Links:
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds: http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/165.pdf
Sabap2: http://sabap2.adu.org.za/spp_summary.ph ... &section=3
Birds of Botswana
Global Raptor Information Network
Threat Thursday in National Water Week: African Marsh Harrier
Simmons, R. 2000. Harriers: skydancing through time. Africa - Birds & Birding 5(5):36-43.

[nan]

168. Black Harrier Circus maurus (Witkruisvleivalk)
Order: Accipitriformes. Family: Accipitridae

Description
Size 48-53 cm. When perched, this bird appears all black. Yellow eyes. However, in flight a white rump and flight feathers become and a long banded tail visible. Its morphology is comparable to that of other harriers, with a slim body, narrow wings and a long tail. Male and female plumages are similar.
Immatures have buff underparts and a heavily spotted breast. Juvenile resembles immature and female Pallid Harrier and Montagu's Harrier but differs in having white undersides to the secondaries, the primaries barred with brown, and the tail barred white and brown; immature has tail barred with black and grey.

Distribution
Endemic to southern Africa, with the bulk of its population occurring in South Africa and Lesotho; it is more scarce in south-western Botswana and Namibia. The centres of distribution are in the Western Cape and to a lesser extent the Eastern Cape and Free State Provinces of South Africa. The world population is estimated at less than 1000 birds. Most of this population occurs in the coastal (strandveld) areas of the Cape, with other breeding birds found in the mountains and the higher grassland areas of the Easterb Cape and Free State. They extend into KwaZulu-Natal north of the Drakensberg and there are scattered records of residents in the northern Cape and seasonal (winter) incursions into the southern Kalahari and central Namibia.



Habitat
Open grassland, scrub semi-desert and mountainous regions. It generally prefers fynbos in the Western Cape, especially strandveld and mountain fynbos, while elsewhere it favours Karoo scrub, cultivated land and high-altitude grassland.

Diet
It mainly eats mice and birds, doing most of its hunting on blustery days. Forages between 1-3 m high over many types of fynbos and grassland vegetation, especially coastal and mountain fynbos, and less often grain fields and other modified habitats. They specialise on hunting mice by slow quartering and a lightning strike into short vegetation or small birds caught after a short chase. From records of 138 prey being brought to nests in the Cape Province the diet comprises mainly mice (72%), birds (25%) and reptiles (3%). These proportions vary with habitat with montane harriers taking more bird prey (51% of 47 prey items), than coastal birds which take predominanly mice (87%).

Breeding
Typically a monogamous solitary nester, although a single male may mate with multiple females (a practice known as polygyny). It occasionally forms loose colonies, with nests spaced about 50-100 m apart. Males vigorously defend their territory. The nest is a small platform of stems, grass and small twigs, typically placed on or near the ground in dense marsh grass tufts or near fynbos bushes and sedges. It especially favours nest sites alongside a small stream. Egg-laying season is from June-November, peaking in September. It lays 1-5, usually 3 eggs, which are solely incubated by the female for roughly 34 days, while the male regularly feeds her at the nest. The chicks are cared for intensely by the female for the first few weeks of their lives, feeding them with food provisioned by the male. At four weeks old, the chicks start to hide in the vegetation surrounding the nest, leaving completely at about 36-41 days old and becoming fully independent at least two weeks later.

Call
A pee-pee-pee-pee call, given during display, a harsh chak-chak-chak when alarmed.

Status
Uncommon endemic resident in the southwestern parts of its range, but outside the breeding season it wanders to the northern and central regions. Classified as Vulnerable (VU) by the IUCN Red List.

[nan]

168. Black Harrier Circus maurus

© nan

© nan

© Lisbeth

© Tina
West Coast National Park

© Tina
West Coast National Park

© Dewi

Links:
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds: http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/168.pdf
Sabap2
Birds of Botswana
Global Raptor Information Network
Simmons, R. 2000. Harriers: skydancing through time. Africa - Birds & Birding 5(5):36-43.
Curtis, O., Jenkins, A.R. & Simmons, R.E. 2001. The Black Harrier: work in progress. Africa - Birds & Birding 6(5):30-36.
SANBI

[nan]

167. Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus (Witborsvleivalk, Witborspaddavreter)
Order: Accipitriformes. Family: Accipitridae

Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus.jpg (47.22 KiB) Viewed 1765 times

Description
Length 40-48 cm; wingspan 95-120 cm. Iris yellow; bill black; cere, legs and feet yellow. Like other harriers, it has distinct male and female plumage.
Male: Pale grey above, white below. In flight, the distinctive black wing tips can be seen (no black bars on wing as in male Montagu´s Harrier).
Female: The female is brown, small white V-shaped rump. Paler belly and a heavily marked breast and head. Almost indistinguishable from female Montagu´s Harrier in field, but collar behind ear coverts sometimes paler. In flight it usually shows four free fingers.
Juvenile: Like that of Montagu´s Harrier, but with paler collar behind ear coverts; not separable in field with certainty. Young pallid harriers have colouration similar to the female, except with a rusty coloured underbody.
Similar species: Adult female and juvenile very similar to Montagu's Harrier but pale collar less marked; white lines around eye not as prominent; abdomen as dark as breast; wings broader; no barring visible in dark secondaries; shorter legs; juvenile more rufous.


The Raptor - guide of Southern Africa (Ulrich Oberprieler)

Distribution
Breeds in Asia, from Ukraine to Mongolia and India, heading south in the non-breeding season to sub-Saharan Africa, excluding the lowland forest of the DRC and West Africa. In southern Africa, it is uncommon to rare in patches of Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and the eastern half of South Africa.



Habitat
It generally favours grassland with open pans or flood plains, although it sometimes moves into croplands.

Movements and migrations
Non-breeding Palaearctic migrant. It arrives in southern Africa in November and stays until March and April.

Diet
It mainly eats insects, taken from the ground or the air, supplemented with birds, mammals and reptiles. Like other harriers, it prefers to hunt on windy days.

Breeding
Extralimital. The Pallid Harrier nests on its own, or in a loose group of three to five pairs. The nest is a pile of grass situated on the ground in meadows, scrub or swamps, protected by vegetation. Typically four to five whitish eggs are laid in May and June, which are incubated for 30 days. Usually only two or three young survive to fledge at 35 to 40 days old. It is generally the female that incubates the eggs and broods the nestlings, while the male provides food for the chicks.
In August and September, the Pallid Harriers leave their breeding grounds and undertake the great migration to their warmer wintering grounds. The European populations migrate mostly to Africa, whilst the Asian populations migrate both to East Africa and southern Asia. Here they will stay until March or April, when they begin the long journey back to the breeding areas

Status
Uncommon to rare non-breeding Palaearctic migrant. It is listed as Near Threatened (NT) IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

[nan]

167. Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus


Sub-adult female, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

© nan

© nan
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Links:
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
Sabap2
Sasol Birds of Prey of Africa and Its Islands. Alan Kemp, M. Kemp
Sasol Voëls van Suider-Afrika (Afrikaans Edition)
Global Raptor Information Network
Separating Montagu's and Pallid Harriers - Zest For Birds
ARKive
Simmons, R. 2000. Harriers: skydancing through time. Africa - Birds & Birding 5(5):36-43.

[Dewi]

166. Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus (Blouvleivalk)
Order: Accipitriformes. Family: Accipitridae

Description
Length: 43-47 cm. Wingspan: 105-130 cm.
Adult males are blue-grey above contrasting with black wingtips. Head paler around eye. Pale grey underparts streaked with rufous. In flight black primaries with dark wing bar, one black wingbar above and two on underwing. Undertail with three faint bars. Yellow legs.
Adult females have are mostly pale yellow-brown underparts, the belly with longitudinal stripes and the wing coverts spotted. The upper parts are uniform dark, brown except for the white upper tail coverts, and the sightly paler central wing coverts. Much white around the eye.
The juvenile plumage resembles that of the female, but differs by the belly and under wing coverts which are not spotted, but uniformly red brown in colour. The dark markings on the head are restricted to the crescent on the ear coverts and the very small, dark eye-stripe.
A melanistic form occurs regularly in this species. In this form the male is much darker than usual, with a black head, brownish black above and grey underparts. The melanistic female is entirely chocolate brown except for grey flight feathers. Partially melanistic morphs can also be found.
Similar species: Male differs from male Pallid Harrier by its larger size, bulkier shape, grey throat and upper breast, streaks on the belly and flanks, and the conspicuous black bar on the secondaries visible in flight from above. Juvenile and immature Pallid Harrier have five tail bars compared to juvenile and immature Montagu's Harrier, which have four.

Circus pygargus.jpg (61.54 KiB) Viewed 1762 times

Distribution
Breeds throughout most of Western Palearctic from north-west Africa to Spain and Mongolia. Migrates to Sub-Saharan Africa and Indian Sub-continent outside of the breeding season. In southern Africa, it is uncommon in isolated patches of Zimbabwe, central and southern Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.



Habitat
Open areas of heaths, dunes, moors, grassland with open pans or flood plains and agricultural farmland.

Movements and migrations
Palearctic breeding migrant, arriving in southern Africa in October and departing by April; numbers generally peak in the region from December-January.

Diet
Small rodents, lizards, birds and large insects. It mainly eats insects, such as locusts (Orthoptera) and termites, doing most of its foraging on windy days. It flies in a similar manner to terns, catching the majority of its prey on the ground.

Breeding
Pairs form on the territory, when returning from migration. As the birds are tied to their former nesting sites, they probably mate with the same partner every year. The nest is built by the female, always in tall vegetation. It is a simple construction made of grass, used only for one season. The female lays 3 to 5 eggs which are incubated for 27–40 days. The young leave the nest after 28–42 days and are independent two weeks later.

Status
Uncommon summer visitor.

[Dewi]

166. Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus


Sub-adult male

© Pumbaa
Female

© Pumbaa
Female, Kruger National Park

© Duke
Male, Kruger National Park

© nan
Male, Kruger National Park

© Duke
Female, Kruger National Park

Links:
Species Text Sabap1
Sabap2
Sasol Voëls van Suider-Afrika (Afrikaans Edition)
Sasol Birds of Prey of Africa and Its Islands. Alan Kemp, M. Kemp
http://www.globalraptors.org/grin/Speci ... pecID=8212
Forsman, Dick (1995) Field identification of female and juvenile Montagu's and Pallid Harriers
Simmons, R. 2000. Harriers: skydancing through time. Africa - Birds & Birding 5(5):36-43.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia Of European Birds
Separating Montagu's and Pallid Harriers - Zest For Birds

[Toko]

9999. Red Peregrine Hawk Milvus dewii (Wonderbaarlikwou)

Description
Plumage is reddish brown with darker streaks, white below. Underwings have an obvious white patch contrasting strongly with jet-black wing-tips. The tail is short and blunt, tail feathers are mottled black and white. Top of the head and a 'moustache' along the cheeks are black, contrasting sharply with the pale sides of the neck and white, sometimes brownish throat. The cere is yellow, as is the beak. The upper beak is notched near the tip.

Distribution
It breeds across much of Wales, heading south or north in the non-breeding season to sub-Saharan Africa, Antarctica or Arctica.

Habitat
Shores for breeding, hunts over Africa Wild Forum, dry savanna, marshes and wetlands, woodlands, beaches and the sea. Also increasingly using urban areas roosting on sea-side pub buildings or boma roofs.

Diet
Takes a variety of beers and food.

Breeding
It is a monogamous breeder, but does not pair for life. Both members of the pair build a large tidy nest, often on the roof of pubs. Each year the female can lay one clutch of usually four eggs, which hatch asynchronously 33–34 days after being laid. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs and both feed the young. The young leave the nest 58–64 days after hatching, and continue to be fed by the parents for a further 7–20 days.

Call
A loud, high educated whistle.

Status
Rare winter visitor.

[Toko]

9999. Red Peregrine Hawk Milvus dewii (Wonderbaarlikwou)


Adult male

Diolch yn fawr am eich cyfraniadau, Dewi. Rydych chi ein seren yma ar y fforwm adar.