Pallid harrier

The pallid harrier is a sleek, long-winged bird of prey that breeds in the open grasslands of eastern Europe and central Asia. Come winter, it migrates to warmer spots in India and Southeast Asia. This rare visitor to western Europe has recently surprised birdwatchers by nesting in unexpected places like Dutch barley fields.

• Breeds from eastern Europe to central Asia, then migrates to India for winter.
• In 2017, a pair nested in the Netherlands for the first recorded time.
• Four chicks hatched from that pioneering Dutch nest in a barley field.