Montagu's Harrier

Montagu's Harrier is Britain's rarest breeding harrier. It is a slender, graceful bird of prey that lives in open countryside. The males are easy to recognise because they have pale grey feathers, black wingtips, and a single black bar across the middle of their wings. Females and young birds are brown with streaks and have a pale patch on their lower back. This bird is smaller and lighter than the Hen Harrier, with narrower wings and a more buoyant flight. Montagu's Harrier visits the UK in the summer, from April to September. However, there are only a few places where it breeds, and these are quite localised. It prefers farmland with crops, young pine forests, and heathland for nesting. The bird is more common in mainland Europe, especially in France and Spain. It hunts by flying low over grasses and reed, using a distinctive tilting flight. It moves back and forth carefully, looking for small birds, voles, and large insects. The harrier is often seen hovering briefly before swooping down to catch its prey.