Lesser Spotted Eagle (Clanga pomarina)
Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
Small eagle with evenly broad wings and relatively short tail. Easily confused with Greater Spotted Eagle (C. clanga). Flight-feathers darker than the pale brown coverts, both on upper- and underwing. Head and body distinctly paler than flight feathers. Conspicuous pale patch at base of inner primaries on upperwing (diffuse only in C. clanga). Double "commas" on underwing, formed by pale base of primaries and primary-coverts (one "comma" in C. clanga). Wings more narrow than C. clanga, which makes the tail look slightly longer. U-shaped white patch at base of tail. Immature birds with white tipped greater and median coverts, forming two narrow wing-bands. Wings "fingered", but 7th finger shorter than in C. clanga (but varies with age). Sours and glides with wings held horizontally, but with characteristic drooping hand (similar to C. clanga).
Sound:Vocal at breeding ground, and when courting. Short, barking, high-pitched whistles, not unlike a small dog. Slightly higher pitched than C. clanga and with a purer tone, but very similar.
Call:
Distribution:
Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)
Ecology:Birdlife ecology
Links:
Observation.org Latest observations
Image search Flickr NB! May give other species
CCIn 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:
Distribution:
Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)
Ecology:Birdlife ecology
Links:
Observation.org Latest observations
Image search Flickr NB! May give other species
CCSounds:Creative Commons,www.xeno-canto.org,Bruno Durand,http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/