Eastern Marsh Harrier

The eastern marsh harrier is a marsh harrier, 48–58 cm long with a wingspan of 113–137 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 grey with black tips and a white front edge, the tail grey, the rump white and the underparts mostly white. The female is dark brown with buff streaking on the head and underparts, and young birds are dark brown with buff on the head and a pale patch on the underwing (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is generally migratory, and its wintering range includes southern China, Taiwan, Korea, southern Japan, north-east India, Bangladesh and Southeast Asia as far south as the Philippines, Borneo and Sumatra. Four to seven eggs are laid and incubated for 33–48 days, and the young fledge after 35–40 days. It is usually silent but has a mewing call, most often given at roosts. SoIB 2023 lists it as a winter migrant of open habitat that eats vertebrates and carrion, without a priority category (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).