The pale or pallid harrier (Circus macrourus) is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier subfamily. The scientific name is derived from the Ancient Greek. Circus is from kirkos, referring to a bird of prey named for its circling flight (kirkos, "circle"), probably the hen harrier and macrourus is "long-tailed", from makros, "long" and -ouros "-tailed". It breeds in southern parts of eastern Europe and central Asia and Iran and winters mainly in India and southeast Asia. It is a rare vagrant to Great Britain and western Europe. This medium-sized raptor breeds on open plains, bogs and heathland. In winter it is a bird of open country. The pallid harrier, a new breeding species for the Netherlands