This species is normally a Palearctic migrant to Tanzania from October to April so we did not expect to encounter it in mid-July. However, the preliminary Tanzania bird atlas indicates records for all months of the year including 14 previous July records. This pattern suggests that a few stragglers may remain during the summer months. It is also possible some individuals migrate very early, but my understanding is the earliest migrants don't start moving until early August.
This species can be confused with the similar Pallid Harrier (C. macrourus). Because our bird was a male, it was easier to identify. We eliminated Pallid by our bird's narrow black wing-stripe in flight. Also Pallid Harrier usually lacks the rusty streaking on the belly shown by our bird and is generally paler overall.
Nikon P510 Coolpix Point-and-shoot