Page 1 - Corso_Cardelli _2004

The migration of

Pallid Harrier across the

central Mediterranean

with particular reference

to the Strait of Messina

Andrea Corso and Carmela Cardelli

139. Second-calendar-year Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus migrating north at the
Strait of Messina, southern Italy, May 2002 Michael Sammut

allid Harriers Circus macrourus are Christie 2001, fig. 1). Although movements and
medium- to long-distance migrants, migration through the Middle East are well-
Pbreeding in eastern Europe and western studied (e.g. Shirihai & Christie 1992, Shirihai
and central Asia, from the Black Sea to the et al. 2000, Alon et al. 2004), very little is
Yenisey River and Lake Baikal. Some birds known about their migration through the
winter in North Africa, the Balkans, Turkey and central Mediterranean yet, according to our
throughout the Middle East, but the majority data, this route may be as important as that
spend the winter months in the Indian subcon- through the Middle East. In this article, we
tinent (plus Myanmar) and sub-Saharan Africa present new data on the species’ migration
(Snow & Perrins 1998; Ferguson-Lees & through this region.

238 © British Birds 97 • May 2004 • 238-246