Marsh harriers? southeast Sicily (1 Viewer)

P.Sunesen said:

Certainly Marsh Harrier, but I'd be hard pressed to try and age/sex it/them from these photos.

Recent studies of a French population have shown that this species is more difficult (and in som cases impossible) to sex and age, than was formerly thought.

Peter

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Transvestite raptor
Male marsh harriers are mostly grey, with yellow eyes, while females are brown with white heads and shoulders, and brown eyes. Females are also about 30 per cent bigger than males.

Not all males obey the gender rules, though. Up to 40 per cent of them have mainly brown feathers with no greys at all, though they do still have the yellow eyes that mark them as male, and are no bigger than expected for their gender. These female-like males acquire their unusual colour in their second year, and keep it for the rest of their lives.

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