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Armenian Name: | Տափաստանային մկնաճուռակ |
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Species Status: | Threatened Species - Species of Special Concern |
See Plate 10 for Pallid Harrier and other similar species
Resident Status: | Year-round visitor |
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Abundance: | Uncommon |
Length: | 40-48 cm, Wing Span:95-120 cm |
Distribution Map: | Map 37. |
Adult: | Male is light gray above, whitish below. Small dark gray patch on wingtips visible in flight. Female is gray-brown above with pale area behind dark facial border; light brown to white below with brown and red-brown streaking, most dense on breast. In flight, shows narrow dull white rump patch and dark secondaries above; from below, pale inner primaries contrast with dark secondaries. Open wing in good light shows whitish crescent near base of the primaries on underwing. Inner primaries lack terminal band; secondaries show dark terminal band that widens toward body. |
Juvenile: | Dark brown with orange feather edges above, unstreaked orange below. Prominent pale neck collar, fine white crescents above and below eye, and dark cheek mark reaching base of lower mandible. |
Similar Species: | Female and juvenile difficult to separate from Montagu's Harrier, but have white area behind dark facial border and whitish crescent near base of the primaries on underwing. |
Behavior: | Flight often appears fast and straight. |
Habitat: | Mountain steppe and broad flat valleys. Widespread on migration. |
Food: | Small mammals, birds, reptiles. |