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?
@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@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.
