Hen Harrier

The Hen Harrier is a medium-sized bird of prey that looks very different between males and females. Males have pale grey feathers on their backs with black tips on their wings and a white patch on their lower back. Females and young birds are brown with a clear white patch on their lower back and a striped tail. Both males and females fly low over open land with a light, steady wingbeat, holding their wings in a shallow V shape. In the UK, Hen Harriers mainly breed on upland heather moorlands in northern England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. However, their numbers have dropped significantly because they have been hunted. In winter, they move to lower areas like coastal marshes, farmland, and young forests. They hunt small animals like mice and ground-nesting birds, often catching their prey by flying low and searching carefully across open land.