Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus) is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier family. Its common name commemorates the British naturalist George Montagu.
Montagu's harrier
Montagu's Harrier Male, Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India
Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus) In flight from Tal Chappar
Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus) from Tal Chappar
A harrier is any of the several species of diurnal hawks sometimes placed in the subfamily Circinae of the bird of prey family Accipitridae. Harriers characteristically hunt by flying low over open ground, feeding on small mammals, reptiles, or birds. The young of the species are sometimes referred to as ring-tail harriers. They are distinctive with long wings, a long narrow tail, the slow and low flight over grasslands and skull peculiarities. The harriers are thought to have diversified with the expansion of grasslands and the emergence of C4 grasses about 6 to 8 million years ago during the Late Miocene and Pliocene.
Harrier (bird)
Northern harrier, adult male
A male Montagu's harrier displays the signature upswept wings and grassland habitat.