We had the opportunity to watch a Pied Harrier grow up and acquire his adult plumage in our refuge. We spotted two Pied Harriers in our place, often perched on the bamboo fence. One of them had a string on its leg. We called it Tali, for the famous beach in Batangas and because Tali means string. Because of the string, we could easily identify it each time it showed up. Tali stayed in the refuge for almost a year.
Please disregard the date on the first three photos!
This is Tali when we first saw him in August 2017. He’s having a scuffle with a crow.
This is in September 2017. He is brown all over.
The string is clearly visible.
No photos from November and December 2017.
Then surprise! When we saw him again in January 2018, he had a lot of black markings on his face and back!
He’s definitely a male Pied Harrier! This is in February 2018.
This is Tali in March 2018. The photo has an orange cast from the sunset.
This is July 2018, the last month we saw him. His head looks completely black.
Still in July 2018, with the black extending further down his chest.
He looks like a different bird! But because of the string, we know it’s still him. It’s Tali!
Tonji and Sylvia's Wildlife Refuge 
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