Circus macrourus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
The pallid harrier (Circus macrourus) is a species of harrier, a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It breeds in southern parts of eastern Europe and central Asia and Iran and winters mainly in India and southeast Asia. It is a rare but increasing vagrant to Great Britain and western Europe. In 2017 a pair of pallid harriers nested in a barley field in the Netherlands; they raised four chicks, the first recorded breeding of the species in the country. In 2019, a pair bred in Spain for the first time.
This medium-sized raptor breeds on open plains, bogs and heathland. In winter it is a bird of open country. The scientific name is Ancient Greek. Circus is from kirkos (circle), referring to a bird of prey named for its circling flight ('probably the hen harrier), and macrourus is "long-tailed", from makros (long) and -ouros (-tailed).
This is a typical harrier, with long wings held in a shallow V in its low flight. It also resembles other harriers in having distinct male and female plumages. Adults measure 40–48 cm (16–19 in) long with a wingspan of 95–120 cm (37–47 in). Males weigh 315 g (11.1 oz) while the slightly larger females weigh 445 g... Wikipedia →
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pale Harrier sighting in Murchison Falls National Park on a given day, based on 56 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 204th most-seen of the 424 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Pale Harrier in Murchison Falls National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April to October, the lowest months. That is one of Murchison Falls National Park's driest months, with about 35 mm of rain against 190 mm in October.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pale Harrier sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 29 parks where we can rate Pale Harrier sightings, Murchison Falls National Park ranks 8th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Masai Mara National Reserve (Kenya, about 10%), Bale Mountains National Park (Ethiopia, about 10%) and Serengeti National Park (Tanzania, about 10%).
Same genus: Circus
The closest relatives of the Pale Harrier that you can see in Murchison Falls National Park (genus Circus, Harriers) are Montagu's Harrier (about 10%), African Marsh-Harrier (about 10%) and Western Marsh-Harrier (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pale Harrier is recorded against all the birds logged in Murchison Falls National Park (56 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
