Journal of Threatened Taxa |
www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 August 2020 | 12(11): 16620–16621
ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893
(Print)
doi: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5703.12.11.16620-16621
#5703 | Received 16 January 2020 | Final
received 29 July 2020 | Finally accepted 07 August 2020
The first
record of Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus
(Aves: Accipitridae) in West Bengal, India
Suman Pratihar
1 & Niloy
Mandal 2
1,2 Department of Zoology, Sukumar Sengupta Mahavidyalaya, Keshpur College,
Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal 721150, India.
1 pratihar_vu@rediffmail.com (corresponding author), 2 niloymandal1998@gmail.com
Editor:
Carol Inskipp, Bishop Auckland Co., Durham, UK.. Date of publication: 26 August
2020 (online & print)
Citation: Pratihar, S. & N.
Mandal (2020). The first record of Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus (Aves: Accipitridae)
in West Bengal, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa
12(11): 16620–16621.
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5703.12.11.16620-16621
Copyright:
© Pratihar
& Mandal
2020.
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT allows
unrestricted use, reproduction, and distribution of this article in any medium
by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding: West Bengal Biodiversity Board, Govt of West Bengal.
Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
Acknowledgements: I would like to remember
late Kushal Mukherjee, eminent birder from West Bengal for confirmation of my
Montagu’s Harrier identification. I am grateful to Professor A.K. Sanyal sir for his guidance, help and unconditional
support.
India is the second largest home
for harriers (Aves: Accipitridae: Circus) globally
and harbors six harrier species of the 16 found across the world (Verma 2007).
Harriers are slender, long naked-legged, long wing, and long tailed
raptors with an owl-like facial ruff.
The key characters to identify harriers are: under wing pattern, facial
pattern, axillary pattern, body streaking, tail features and mode of flight
(soaring and gliding). Montagu’s Harrier
Circus pygargus (Image 1a,b) is widespread in India and the smallest of
the country’s harriers. There are,
however, no previous photographic records from West Bengal. There have also been some unsubstantiated
records without photographs.
On 30 December 2019, we started
birding in Bon-patna Village, in Kesiyari
block, West Midnapore, West Bengal, India.
While birding we noticed a harrier and a Black Kite Milvus migrans gliding over the marshes and bushes with
several dead snakes (killed by a fisherman during netting) behind a local dam
(used for fishing). This area (near a
wetland and cultivated field) was a perfect fit as Montagu’s favorite habitat
(Image 1c,d). This bird species is often
found at night in the open, frequently in sizeable congregations and in company
with other harrier species in grassy swamp or fallow land (Ali & Ripley
2002).
The Montagu’s Harrier can be
confused with many harrier species that exist within the same range, e.g.,
Pallid Harrier C. macrourus, Pied Harrier M.
melanoleucos, and Hen Harrier C. cyaneus.
Distinguishing sub adults and juveniles is most confusing. We have undertaken a comparative analysis to
elucidate proper identification.
On identification we found real
difficulties between Pallid Harrier and Montagu’s Harrier. A paper by Svensson
in 1971 is still considered the most comprehensive treatment to elucidate the
subject. Identification of juvenile is
most difficult. Lewington also added few
important aspects regarding identification (Lewington 1991). Ali & Ripley in 2002 noted underparts
with chestnut shaft-stripes and a grayish rump.
The juveniles of both species undergo a partial body moult
in the winter, which varies between within species (Forsman 1995). Characters like underwing primaries, head
pattern, upper tail coverts, rump and collar are the most important
features. At the time of migration, they
have acquired a slim outline and their flight is more like adults. Montagu’s juveniles are identified by dark
finger tips, and grayish base to outer primaries. Amount of white around eye and
distinctiveness and shape of collar are other features (Forsman 1995). Forsman also supported the difference between
Montagu’s, Pallid and Hen Harrier with wing formula, In addition Forsman (1995)
pointed out the rufous underparts and darker adult female secondaries in
Montagu’s Harrier (Forsman 1995).
Identification is easier if the bird is aged first. When recognizing adult female Pallid with
Montagu’s Harrier, one must remember that female Hen Harrier is a more likely
to be confusing, rather than Montagu’s (Forsman 1995; Grimmett
et al. 2011). The lack of white in the
upper tail coverts, and white in the rump; pale lores,
prominent white above the eye and presence of white collar in our specimen confirmed
that it was not Pied Harrier Circus melanoleucos.
We have compiled ten points which confirm the
identification of our specimen as follows:
Flat owl-like
face, oval head shape, long wing and tail, small body.
More white
round the prominent eye, though restricted not well developed dark ear-coverts
patch.
Crescent-shaped
pale collar with tapered end.
Ear covert
extended up to the eye.
Under wing
outer primaries with uniform grayish bases and not evenly barred. Secondary
pattern is variable so less reliable.
Broad
supercilium (narrow in case of Circus macrourus)
with clear face.
No white in
the upper tail covert (white upper tail covert is character of Pied Harrier).
Grayish-white
rump present (from field note).
Long
outermost primary p1 number and roughly equalling p5,
all broad dark fingertips.
A very
distinct, unique pattern similar to sub adult female Montagu’s Harrier.
We revisited the place, in the
hope of finding more individuals, and a roosting site, but were
unsuccessful. As this is the first
report of the species from the state, it is difficult to conclude whether it is
a passage migrant, or a vagrant in West Bengal.
References
Ali, S. &
D. Ripley (2002). Hand Book of the Birds of India and Pakistan. Volume 1–10. 2nd
Edition. Oxford University Press, 3121pp.
Forsman, D.
(1995). Field
identification of female and juvenile Montagu’s and Pallid Harrier. Dutch
Birding 17: 41–54.
Grimmett, R., C. Inskipp
& T. Inskipp (2011). Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. 2nd Edition. Oxford
University Press & Christopher Helm, London, 528pp.
Lewington, l.
P. Alström & P. Colston (1991). A Field Guide to the Rare
Birds of Britain and Europe. 1st Edition. Herper
Collins, 448pp.
Svensson, L. (1971). Stapphok
Circus mocrourus och
angshok C. pygargus
– problemet att skilja dem at. Var Fagelvarld 30: 106-–121.
Verma, A. (2007). Harriers in India: A
Field Guide. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India, 32pp.