A passing migrant during the two migration periods and a winter visitor, both in Cyprus and the Akamas peninsula. It’s observed as a single bird, usually flying over open areas with a low, fast flight, with frequent sudden changes in direction, short hovering and sudden dive when it spots prey, or soaring higher taking advantage of the thermals.

It prefers open areas with low vegetation (brushwood, grasslands etc.) as well as agricultural areas and wetlands. It feeds mainly on small mammals and birds. It’s smaller in size than the Marsh Harrier. The male has a grey-bluish body on the upperparts, with white rump and wide black wing tips (primaries).

On the underparts it has a noticeable grey-bluish head that makes contrast to the the whitish underside and to the wide black wing tips. The female and the juveniles have an overall ground coloration in different shades of brown mainly with paler underside.