Join our zoo community
KevinB

Taxidermy, female western marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus),

I saw this one at Faunapark Flakkee (a small zoo in Nieuwe-Tonge, Zuid-Holland, the Netherlands) on June 1st, 2019. Does anyone know which species this could be?

Taxidermy, female western marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus),
KevinB, 8 Jun 2019
TheGerenuk likes this.
    • TeaLovingDave
      Looks like an osprey to me...
    • KevinB
      @TeaLovingDave I was thinking the same thing actually, but when I check it with pictures of ospreys online - adults as well as juveniles - it just doesn't seem to be right to me.
    • gentle lemur
      Underparts too dark for an osprey. I suggest female marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus).
      KevinB likes this.
    • Chlidonias
      It's very dark, but is it not a Western Marsh Harrier?
      KevinB likes this.
    • KevinB
      @gentle lemur @Chlidonias I did a bit more research and it seems you guys were right. This indeed seems to be a female western marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus). Thank you very much for the help.

      I have actually seen this species before, at the Groot Rietveld nature reserve in Kallo, Belgium, but the animal I saw there was apparently a male and they look quite different - and I haven't been spending enough time going through bird books recently, apparently.

      Also, this species is in fact native to the Netherlands (or at least some parts of it, given its habitat requirements) and also occurs on and near the island of Goeree-Overflakkee on which Faunapark Flakkee is located. So the specimen might have been locally sourced for educational purposes or something along those lines. Ospreys do also occur in the Netherlands, but in much, much smaller numbers compared to the western marsh harrier.
    There are no comments to display.
  • Category:
    Faunapark Flakkee
    Uploaded By:
    KevinB
    Date:
    8 Jun 2019
    View Count:
    744
    Comment Count:
    5

    EXIF Data

    File Size:
    3.3 MB
    Mime Type:
    image/jpeg
    Width:
    4608px
    Height:
    3456px
    Aperture:
    f/5.5
    Make:
    OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Model:
    E-M10 Mark III
    Date / Time:
    2019:06:01 09:45:45
    Exposure Time:
    1/80 sec
    ISO Speed Rating:
    ISO 6400
    Focal Length:
    70 mm
     

    Note: EXIF data is stored on valid file types when a photo is uploaded. The photo may have been manipulated since upload (rotated, flipped, cropped etc).