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It looks good for adult male Eastern Marsh but after reading the Pied Harrier section in 'Birds of Prey of the Indian Subcontinent' I am confused as it might be Pied. Few pictures available but pattern of coverts seems better for EMH.
That said I do not have any experience with both and almost no literature by hand
Hi all,
this is conundrum. The problem is one of photograph interpretation not field Id. Xuky the paler grey feathers would show as such on the older black and white, marsh harriers, as well. Can see no structural constant except the pinions look broad as in EMH\swamp harrier. EMH seems to be the consensus?
Yes, Pied and Eastern Marsh are not always easy to identify. The most problematic case is between adult female Pied and younger male Eastern Marsh. The main cause of the problem is the enormous variability of Eastern Marsh. And also that male EMH is smaller and slimmer than female and closer to Pied in that respect.
Compared to EMH, Pied is not so variable, and this makes things a little easier. This bird looks like quite typical adult female Pied to me. Compare, for example:
Eastern Marsh would show more uniformly brown covert area, as Xuky mentioned, and this bird also has a neat pale collar combined narrow brown crescent anterior to it and pale area just behind eyes. Also the general shape: small bill, round head combined with slim body, especially the rear.