Hawks and eagles
Montagu's Harrier
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Circus pygargus
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How to recognize it
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43–47 cm; long, narrow wings and a long tail
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Adult male with ash-grey upperparts and black wingtips
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Low, slow flight over fields, wings held in a shallow V
About the species
A male crosses the sky in pale grey, with black wingtips and dark bars along his wings; rusty streaks run down his pale belly. Females and juveniles are brown above and buff below, with a white patch above the tail and streaking underneath. Long, narrow wings and a long tail show clearly as it glides close to the ground.
It patrols open ground in slow, low flight, wings held in a shallow V, then drops onto prey; it can also snatch prey from the air. During courtship the male tumbles and twists overhead, giving a repeated nasal "kyeew"; females and juveniles use thinner whistles when begging for food.
It nests on the ground in tall vegetation in open river valleys, damp grassland, wetlands and farmland, and hunts where the cover is low or sparse. Its meals include small rodents, reptiles, large insects, and eggs or chicks taken from ground nests; after breeding, it migrates to sub-Saharan Africa, while eastern populations winter in the Indian subcontinent, returning in spring.
Where to find
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During the breeding season, beyond town in broad river valleys and wet, tall-grass meadows, look for Montagu's Harrier flying slowly and low, often along the edge of taller grass.
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On open breeding grounds away from dense settlement, watch fence posts, small trees or rocky outcrops for a brief perch to survey the area.
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In western Europe, where many pairs nest in cereal fields, look for an aerial food handoff during the breeding season: the male drops prey for the female.
