Hen Harrier, Male, Circus cyaneus
'Silent hunter' The beautiful male Hen Harrier quartering the heather in its protected habitat on The Isle of Mull, Argyll and Bute, Scotland.
The Hen Harrier has been severely persecuted for taking game species and has suffered massive declines in numbers as a result. Thankfully, conservation projects are underway to reduce conflict surrounding its controversial prey.
Of the UK's birds of prey, this is the most intensively persecuted. Once predating free-range fowl, earning its present name, its effect on the number of grouse available to shoot is the cause of modern conflict and threatens its survival in some parts of the UK, particularly on the driven grouse moors of England and Scotland. (RSPB Note)
While males are a pale grey colour, females and immatures are brown with a white rump and a long, barred tail which give them the name 'ringtail'. They fly with wings held in a shallow 'V', gliding low in search of food, which mainly consists of meadow pipits and voles. The Orkney population is famous for being polygynous, with males sometimes mating with multiple females on the island.
They are listed as a Schedule 1 species under The Wildlife and Countryside Act.
Many thanks for visiting my Flickr pages ...Your visits, interest, comments and kindness to 'fave' my photos is very much appreciated, Steve.
Hen Harrier Notes and information:
Category: Birds of prey
Statistics
Length: 48-55cm
Wingspan: 1.1m
Weight: 350-500g
Average lifespan: 7 years
Conservation status
Classified in the UK as Red under the Birds of Conservation Concern 4: the Red List for Birds (2021). Protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.
When to see: January to December
About
The Hen Harrier nests on the ground among the heather of upland moorlands. It winters in the lowlands, particularly around the coast, on heathland and on farmland. It is one of the most endangered breeding birds of prey in the country; it sometimes feeds on small grouse and fowl (hence its name), bringing it into conflict with gamekeepers and farmers.
How to identify
The hen harrier is a slim bird. Males are blue-grey with a white rump, pale underside and black wing tips. Females are brown above and streaky below, with a white rump and a banded tail.
Distribution
Found in Scotland and parts of upland Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man. Only a tiny handful of pairs now nest in parts of upland England. Winters in small numbers throughout the UK.
Habitats
Heathland, Moorland, Farmland, Coastal Wetlands, Woodland
Did you know?
Female Hen Harriers are known as 'ringtails' due to their distinctive tail banding. Both females and males attend the young; the males provide food, which is often passed, mid-air to the female in a spectacular display of 'throw and catch'. NWT Notes.
Hen Harrier, Male, Circus cyaneus
'Silent hunter' The beautiful male Hen Harrier quartering the heather in its protected habitat on The Isle of Mull, Argyll and Bute, Scotland.
The Hen Harrier has been severely persecuted for taking game species and has suffered massive declines in numbers as a result. Thankfully, conservation projects are underway to reduce conflict surrounding its controversial prey.
Of the UK's birds of prey, this is the most intensively persecuted. Once predating free-range fowl, earning its present name, its effect on the number of grouse available to shoot is the cause of modern conflict and threatens its survival in some parts of the UK, particularly on the driven grouse moors of England and Scotland. (RSPB Note)
While males are a pale grey colour, females and immatures are brown with a white rump and a long, barred tail which give them the name 'ringtail'. They fly with wings held in a shallow 'V', gliding low in search of food, which mainly consists of meadow pipits and voles. The Orkney population is famous for being polygynous, with males sometimes mating with multiple females on the island.
They are listed as a Schedule 1 species under The Wildlife and Countryside Act.
Many thanks for visiting my Flickr pages ...Your visits, interest, comments and kindness to 'fave' my photos is very much appreciated, Steve.
Hen Harrier Notes and information:
Category: Birds of prey
Statistics
Length: 48-55cm
Wingspan: 1.1m
Weight: 350-500g
Average lifespan: 7 years
Conservation status
Classified in the UK as Red under the Birds of Conservation Concern 4: the Red List for Birds (2021). Protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.
When to see: January to December
About
The Hen Harrier nests on the ground among the heather of upland moorlands. It winters in the lowlands, particularly around the coast, on heathland and on farmland. It is one of the most endangered breeding birds of prey in the country; it sometimes feeds on small grouse and fowl (hence its name), bringing it into conflict with gamekeepers and farmers.
How to identify
The hen harrier is a slim bird. Males are blue-grey with a white rump, pale underside and black wing tips. Females are brown above and streaky below, with a white rump and a banded tail.
Distribution
Found in Scotland and parts of upland Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man. Only a tiny handful of pairs now nest in parts of upland England. Winters in small numbers throughout the UK.
Habitats
Heathland, Moorland, Farmland, Coastal Wetlands, Woodland
Did you know?
Female Hen Harriers are known as 'ringtails' due to their distinctive tail banding. Both females and males attend the young; the males provide food, which is often passed, mid-air to the female in a spectacular display of 'throw and catch'. NWT Notes.