A first in 13 years in NCR: Birders spot winged visitor from Mongolia

Gurgaon: A Pied Harrier was spotted by members of Delhi Bird Society on March 25 in Chandu Budhera. This is the second sighting of the species in NCR, after a gap of 13 years, birders said, adding that this migratory bird is rarely seen in this part of the country. It comes from Mongolia, South Korea and Russia.
The last sighting of this species was a male bird in 2008, which was spotted in Hailey Mandi.
“We have just two records of this species in Haryana. It is the first sighting of the female species in the state. These birds don’t travel in pairs. They usually pair to breed,” said Pankaj Gupta, a member of Delhi Bird Society.
Describing the species, Gupta said that both the male and female birds have distinctive features.
“The male has a black head and black shoulders with white lower parts while the female birds are grey and brown on head and shoulder,” he added.
The news of the March 25 sighting created a wave of excitement among birders, who rushed to the area.
This sighting of the species indicates the migration pattern from the eastern countries. The birds are usually bred in Mongolia and higher-altitude regions. However, from August to November, they migrate to Vietnam, Myanmar, Japan and India.