Species:

Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus)

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

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Length (cm):
44-52
85-102
Wingspan (cm):
100-120
140-170
Weight (gram):
300-600
960-1030
Size group:
Crow-size
Bigger than a crow
Main Texts:
Appearance:

In all plumages: Glides with wings raised in shallow V. Shows 5 primaries. This makes the wing tip broader than in Pallid- and Montague's Harriers, and the wings seems shorter. (Note that moulting individuals may show only 4 primaries). Male; grey with black primaries, white rump and underparts, and broad black trailing edge to underwing. Note that subadult males may show partly black primaries like Pallid. Female; brown with white rump, barred tail and streaked underparts.

Sound:

Mostly heard at breeding ground. Calls with quite soft series of "ke-ke-ke-ke". Also a wailing, squealing whistle, with emphasized first syllable.

Contact call:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Sounds:Creative Commons,www.xeno-canto.org,Bruno Durand,http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Appearance:

Slender and elegant bird, about the same size as Grey Heron. Bill dark in breeding birds, otherwise yellow. Legs and feet dark, but tibia often with red tinge in breeding season. Long, S-shaped neck with sharp angle/bend. Erect posture, and less skulking, horizontal hunting behaviour than Little Egret. Almost twice the size of Little Egret, and wing-beats are considerably slower. Wings give the impression of being attached more upfront than in Little E. Feets protrude well beyond tail in flight.

Sound:

Silent outside breeding ground. In colonies various harsh calls like a dry, and mechanical "kerrrrrrr", and a very nasal "geet" or "ga-geet ga-geet" are heard.

Flight call:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Lynette Rudman, Licence,Link.

Similar species (image):
Similar species (sound):
Silhouette Group:
Raptors
Silhouette
Heron-like
Silhouette
Several different images of the species
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Several different sounds of the species