Eastern Marsh Harrier
A species of Harriers Scientific name : Circus spilonotus Genus : Harriers
Eastern Marsh Harrier, A species of Harriers
Botanical name: Circus spilonotus
Genus: Harriers
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Ayuwat Jearwattanakanok 
Description
It is 48 to 58 cm long with a wingspan of 113 to 137 cm; like most birds of prey, the female is usually larger than the male. The male's plumage is variable; typically the head, breast, back and wing-coverts are blackish with pale streaks. The rest of the wing is grey with black wingtips and a white front edge. The tail is grey, the rump is white and the underparts are mostly white. The female is dark brown with buff streaking on the head and underparts. The rump is often whitish and the tail has dark bars. Young birds are dark brown with buff on the head and a pale patch on the underwing. It is usually silent but has a mewing call which is most often uttered at roost sites. 
Size
55 cm
Feeding Habits
Eastern Marsh Harrier predominantly preys on small mammals, birds, and frogs, employing low flights in a shallow V-formation during hunts. This species has evolved distinctive hunting strategies and shows a preference for nesting in reedbeds during breeding season.
Habitat
The eastern Marsh Harrier resides predominantly in wide-ranging wetland habitats, favoring dense marsh vegetation such as reeds and reedmace. These habitats include freshwater and brackish marshes, swamps, lagoons, and along the margins of lakes, reservoirs, and rivers with significant reedbeds. The species is also found in other open, lowland areas close to water bodies, including grasslands, salt-pans, and agricultural fields like paddyfields. During migration and in wintering areas, the eastern Marsh Harrier can adapt to less characteristic habitats.
Dite type
Carnivorous
General Info
Distribution Area
Eastern marsh harriers are generally migratory apart from the Papuan harrier which is sedentary. The breeding range covers north-east China, Mongolia and south-east Siberia (as far west as Lake Baikal) with small numbers in northern Japan (Hokkaidō and northern Honshū). There is some overlap with western marsh harrier around Lake Baikal and interbreeding has taken place. The wintering range includes southern China, Taiwan, Korea, southern Japan, northeast India, Bangladesh and Southeast Asia as far south as the Philippines, Borneo and Sumatra. Large numbers of birds migrate along the Chinese coast with thousands passing through sites like Beidaihe during the autumn. Its preferred habitat is open country including marshland, paddy fields and grassland.
Photo By Ayuwat Jearwattanakanok 
Scientific Classification
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