Afghanistan (B), Albania (B) (NB) (P), Angola, Armenia (B) (NB), Austria (B) (NB), Azerbaijan (B) (NB), Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus (B), Belgium (B) (NB) (P), Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina (B), Bulgaria (B) (NB) (P), Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China (mainland) (B), Congo [The Democratic Republic of the], Côte dIvoire, Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska) (B) (NB) (P), Cyprus (NB) (P), Czech Republic (B) (NB), Denmark (B) (P), Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia (B) (NB), Ethiopia, Finland (B) (P), France (B) (NB) (P), Gabon, Gambia, Georgia (B) (P), Germany (B) (NB) (P), Ghana, Gibraltar (P), Greece (B) (NB) (P), Guinea, Guinea-bissau, Hungary (B) (NB), India, Iran [Islamic Republic of] (B), Iraq (B) (NB) (P), Ireland (E) (B), Israel (NB) (P), Italy (B) (NB) (P), Jordan (NB) (P), Kazakhstan (B), Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan (B), Latvia (B) (NB), Lebanon (NB) (P), Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania (B), Luxembourg (NB) (P), Macedonia [The Former Yugoslav Republic of] (B) (NB), Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Malta (P), Mauritania, Moldova [Republic of] (B) (NB) (P), Mongolia, Montenegro (B) (NB), Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles (B) (NB), Niger, Nigeria, Norway (B), Oman, Pakistan, Poland (B), Portugal (B) (NB), Qatar, Romania (B) (NB) (P), Russia (Asian) (B), Russia (Central Asian) (B), Russia (European) (B) (P), Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia (B) (NB), Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia (Slovak Republic) (B) (NB), Slovenia (B) (NB) (P), Somalia, South Africa, Spain (B) (NB) (P), Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden (B), Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan (B), Tanzania [United Republic of], Togo, Tunisia, Turkey (B) (NB), Turkmenistan (B), Uganda, Ukraine (B) (NB) (P), United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom (B) (NB), Uzbekistan (B), Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Vagrant to Algeria, Andorra, Bhutan, Congo [The Democratic Republic of the], Faroe Islands, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Seychelles, Thailand.
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.
Population
Estimated population is 500,000 - 2,000,000 (2010).
Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) [XC557231]
by Jarek Matusiak from Sk\u00e4rjavan, R\u00f6nnholm, Nordmaling Municipality, V\u00e4sterbottens l\u00e4n, Sweden (song)
Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) [XC667204]
by Niels Van Doninck from Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, Vlaams-Brabant, Vlaanderen, Poland (call)
Nest
A bulky mass of reeds and twigs, among reeds.
Eggs (Guide)
4 - 5; matt, bluish-white. Incubation: about 36 days; by female.
aeruginosus (Linnaeus, 1758) - Europe and Asia Minor east into Central Asia, east to upper R Yenisey and Mongolia. Winters in western and southern Europe, Africa south of Sahara, and in Indian Subcontinent and Sri Lanka.
harterti Zedlitz, 1914 - North-western Africa, from Morocco to Tunisia.
The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7
BirdLife International Species Factsheet