African Marsh Harrier

The African Marsh Harrier is smaller than its European cousin, the Marsh Harrier, with a darker brown cap lightly sprinkled with white. The coverts and chin are noticeably lighter with variable grey shades, or even dirty white. The beak is yellow at the base with a black tip, and a yellow eye ring encircles a black eye. The brown throat is marked by a thin white collar which is characteristic of many harriers, such as the Marsh Harrier and Montagu's Harrier. The brown-black chest is streaked with lighter stripes, even white stripes in some individuals, which extend down to the belly. Juveniles look quite different, with a dark brown chest and belly marked by a characteristic white badge. The upper wings remain brown and are marked by a thin white line on the shoulder, whereas the primary feathers are striped grey and black, unlike those of the Marsh Harrier, which have white primary feathers in the female and darker brown in the male. The tail rectrices are also striped grey and black. When in flight, one can clearly make out the grey-black striped primary feathers, whereas all the other feathers remain brown or beige, depending on the individual.
A slight dimorphism exists between the male and female, with the female being larger and showing darker shades of brown on the brown parts. The tibias are covered with brown feathers and the tarses are yellow.