The Pallid Harrier is a scarce passage migrant through and a very local winter visitor. It is however the commonest of the three harriers in which the males are largely grey and the females and immatures brown with white rump bands (and thus known collectively as Ring-tails). It is an open country bird favouring fallow and crops as well as bare open country. It may well be overlooked as wintering territories are quite large. Individuals fly low on slightly uplifted wings, looking for small birds and mammals on which to pounce. They perch on the ground and on fence posts.

A very few overwinter but they are not reported regularly, presumably because the available habitat is so widespread. Like all harriers, adult males are in a minority as they take up to four years to reach that plumage. Statistically they form only about 12% of the total population.