Swamp Harrier

50-61 cm; span to 1.45 m. Female larger. Large, small-headed, long-legged brown hawk with a distinct facial disc, buff-streaked breast and white rump. Sits tall and slim on fence-posts, ground, swamp vegetation. Sails low over crops, etc., on upswept long wings, head downpointed, rocking a little; white rump readily visible. Both sexes become greyer with age; old males have ash-grey inner primaries and unbarred ash-grey tail; breast buff to whitish with buff streaks; underwing whitish; wingtips grey, barred black. Some pale males have slate-grey hood. Female: browner; underparts more rufous; wings broader, curved trailing edge has broader black margin (Marchant & Higgins, 1993); shadowy bars on grey wingtips and tail. Juvenile: chocolate-brown with rufous tones; cream streaks on nape sometimes form a large, pale mark; small, pale rufous rump; underwing blackish with rufous tones; large whitish patch at base of primaries; tail has shadowy bars. Singles, pairs, family parties: over territory in spring, males soar high, calling and cutting spectacular loops and circles with wings in a stiff V.