Busard d'Orient

Identification

It is 48 to 58 cm long with a wingspan of 113 to 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 is grey with black wingtips and a white front edge. The tail is grey, the rump is white and the underparts are mostly white. The female is dark brown with buff streaking on the head and underparts. The rump is often whitish and the tail has dark bars. Young birds are dark brown with buff on the head and a pale patch on the underwing.<p>It is usually silent but has a mewing call which is most often uttered at roost sites.

Taxonomie

Nom scientifique

Circus spilonotus

Autorité

Kaup, 1847

Ordre

Accipitriformes

Famille

Accipitridés

Genre

Circaète

Répartition et habitat

Eastern marsh harriers are generally migratory apart from the Papuan harrier which is sedentary. The breeding range covers north-east China, Mongolia and south-east Siberia (as far west as Lake Baikal) with small numbers in northern Japan (Hokkaidō and northern Honshū). There is some overlap with western marsh harrier around Lake Baikal and interbreeding has taken place.<p>The wintering range includes southern China, Taiwan, Korea, southern Japan, northeast India, Bangladesh and Southeast Asia as far south as the Philippines, Borneo and Sumatra. Large numbers of birds migrate along the Chinese coast with thousands passing through sites like Beidaihe during the autumn.<p>Its preferred habitat is open country including marshland, paddy fields and grassland.

Aire de reproduction

PAL : c Siberia to ne China and Japan

Aire hors reproduction

e OR : se Asia, s China through Philippines, Borneo and Sumatra

Migration

Complete migrants

Conservation

Tendance de la population

stable