The FIELD KITES, or HARRIERS (Circi), are birds of moderate size, characterised by their elongated bodies, long, slender wings, broad but not large tails, long, weak, short-toed feet, and small, but very decidedly-curved beaks, hooked at the extremity, and furnished with blunt denticulations. In some species the feathers on the face are prolonged into a disc, and in all, the third and fourth quills of the wings exceed the rest in length. The plumage is soft and very lax in the region of the neck. The various members of this group belong rather to the earth than to the air, in which they seldom rise to any considerable elevation: their days are passed in hovering over the surface of fields, meadows, and pools, in search of birds, small quadrupeds, toads, and fish: they, however, only capture such prey as either swims or runs on the ground, and never molest birds upon the wing.
This family has been divided into two groups, known respectively as MEADOW KITES (Strigiceps) and MARSH KITES (Circus).
The MEADOW KITES (Strigiceps) are recognisable by the clearly-defined disc upon the face, and by the great variety observable in their plumage at different ages, or according to the sex.
THE BLUE KITE, OR HEN HARRIER.
The BLUE KITE, or HEN HARRIER (Strigiceps cyaneus), is about seventeen inches long, of which eight and a half belong to the tail; its breadth is forty inches, and the length of the wing fourteen inches. The plumage of the adult male is light greyish blue above, and white beneath; the nape is striped with brown and white; the first quill is blackish grey, the five next are black, and only grey or white towards the root, the rest are entirely grey. The tail is ornamented with a few dark spots. The plumage of the female is yellowish brown, with white lines over the eyes, and reddish yellow borders to the feathers on the hinder part of the head; the under part of the body is of the latter colour, streaked longitudinally with brown. The pupil of the eye, cere, and feet, are lemon yellow, and the beak greyish black. The young resemble the mother.
THE KITE OF THE STEPPES, OR PALLID HARRIER.
The KITE OF THE STEPPES, or PALLID HARRIER (Strigiceps pallidus), is about sixteen inches and a half long and thirty-eight and a half broad; its tail measures eight and a quarter and wing thirteen inches. In the general coloration of its plumage this bird differs but little from the species last described, though it is somewhat paler in tint, being of a leaden colour above and pure white upon the lower portions of its body; the tail and wings are distinctly striped with grey, and the wings tipped with black. The adult female is brown; the individual feathers of the mantle edged with a light reddish shade; the under side is pale reddish yellow, streaked with a darker tint. The young are recognised by the uniform colour of their parts. As a distinguishing mark between the Blue Kite and this bird we will add that in the former the fourth quill, and in the latter the third, is longer than the rest.
THE MEADOW KITE, OR ASH-COLOURED HARRIER.