Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus)

Family
Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles)

Size
43 - 50 cm
Wingspan: 102 - 123 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Linnaeus, 1758)

Habitat
Fens, wet fields, heaths, moors and dunes during the breeding season.

Range (Guide)

Afghanistan (P), Albania, Algeria, Andorra (B), Armenia (B) (P), Austria (B), Azerbaijan (B), Bahrain, Belarus (B), Belgium (B), Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina (B), Botswana, Bulgaria (B) (NB) (P), Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, China (mainland) (B), Congo [The Democratic Republic of the], C�te dIvoire, Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska) (B) (P), Cyprus (P), Czech Republic (B) (NB), Denmark (B) (P), Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia (B), Ethiopia, Finland (B), France (B) (P), Gambia, Georgia (B) (P), Germany (B), Ghana, Gibraltar (P), Greece (B) (P), Guinea, Guinea-bissau, Hungary (B) (P), India, Iran [Islamic Republic of] (B), Iraq (P), Israel, Italy (B) (P), Jordan (P), Kazakhstan (B), Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan (B), Latvia (B), Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein (P), Lithuania (B) (NB), Luxembourg (B), Macedonia [The Former Yugoslav Republic of] (B), Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Moldova [Republic of] (B) (NB), Montenegro (B), Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles (B), Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Poland (B), Portugal (B), Romania (B) (P), Russia (Asian) (B), Russia (Central Asian) (B), Russia (European) (B) (P), Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia (B), Sierra Leone, Slovakia (Slovak Republic) (B), Slovenia (P), Somalia, South Africa, Spain (B) (NB) (P), Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden (B), Switzerland (B), Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Tanzania [United Republic of], Togo, Tunisia, Turkey (B), Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine (B) (NB) (P), United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom (B), Uzbekistan (B), Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Vagrant to Bangladesh, Cape Verde, Congo [The Democratic Republic of the], Iceland, Ireland, Norway.

Population
Estimated population is 100,000 (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Food
Small mammals, birds and reptiles.

Voice
A high-pitched 'yik-yik-yik' uttered over nesting sites. Otherwise silent.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (121)...)

Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus) [XC433718]
by Jos\u00e9 Carlos Sires from Sierra Norte de Sevilla (near Gerena), Sevilla, Andaluc\u00eda, Spain (call)

Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus) [XC880679]
by id from Arrondissement des Sables-d'Olonne (near La Barre-de-Monts), Vend\u00e9e, Pays de la Loire, France (call)

Nest
A depression on the ground, lined with grasses.

Eggs (Guide)
4; white or pale bluish; ellipsoidal. Incubation: 28 - 29 days; by female.

Subspecies
No subspecies.

References
See References.

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

Files:

JPG files for Montagus Harrier (Circus pygargus) - 10 files

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BirdLife International

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