UK's rarest bird rears six chicks secretly
Britain’s Montagu’s harrier, the rarest raptor, nested at secret sites for the second year running and reared six chicks across two nests, with the male known as AU aided by two new females this season. Conservation efforts include fencing to protect nests, ringing of the chicks, and for the first UK use of satellite tags on two juvenile females to monitor their 7,000-mile migration back to West Africa, while the species remains on the red list since 2021 and continues to face threats from disturbance and habitat loss.
Environment · 6 sources · Aug 24, 2026Read itThe journal
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About Montagu's Harrier
Montagu's harrier is a species of harrier, a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It breeds in large open areas in the Palearctic and is migratory, wintering in Africa, the Indian subcontinent and parts of the Arabian Peninsula. Its common name commemorates the British naturalist George Montagu.
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