Marsh Harrier Identification Guide
Its scientific name is 'Circus aeruginosus', from the family Accipitridae (order Accipitriformes)
What I look like
The Marsh Harrier is a medium-sized raptor, slightly smaller than the Osprey and a bit larger than the Common Buzzard.
Its wingspan is three times its length (about one hundred and twenty centimeters).
Its body is rather slender with narrow wings and a long, rounded tail.
The male has a whitish-yellow head and chest, streaked with brown. The area around the eye is sometimes darker.
The upper side of its wings is tricolored with black wingtips and the tail is gray.
The underside of its wings is light with black wingtips and the belly is reddish-brown.
Viewed from below, it can be mistaken for the Hen Harrier but the latter has shorter wings with broad black tips and a gray rear edge.
The female is mostly dark brown with a light-colored cap and neck and a dark brown eye stripe. Its plumage is variable, but often shows a light area on the front of the wings.
The tips of its wings are not distinctly black and its tail is brownish.
Juveniles are brown and darker than the female, with yellowish caps and throats. They also have a dark eye stripe.
Occasionally, intermediate individuals are seen who have not yet reached adult plumage. These juvenile males have black wingtips and a dark underside.
My songs, my calls
The Marsh Harrier is mainly heard during the breeding season.
It often emits rapid "kvek-èk-èk" calls.
The female gives a strong, peeping whistle "pssi-i" "siiiih" repeated when the male brings her prey.
In courtship flight, the male produces plaintive, nasal "vè-i" calls, often repeating them twice, similar to the call of the Northern Lapwing.
Here, you can hear a pair in flight. The female's very high-pitched "psssiiii" and the male's slightly lower, plaintive "vè-i".
The alarm call is a "kiek kiek kiek kiek…". Here, you can hear a male. The female's call is higher-pitched.
How I behave
The Marsh Harrier flies in circles with its wings raised in a "V" shape.
It uses a combination of flapping and gliding flight.
How I reproduce
The Marsh Harrier builds its nest in reeds, on the ground, in low vegetation.
It has a wavy courtship flight. The pair's aerial displays are often impressive.
What I eat
The Marsh Harrier feeds on mammals, birds, amphibians, and insects.
It patrols over reeds and marshes with a few wingbeats and glides.
Where to find me
The Marsh Harrier lives in wetlands, in reed beds.
It is resident in Europe, in the west and south.
It is migratory in the north and east and winters in Africa.
During wintering in Africa, it stays close to water to hunt (in rice fields and sorghum fields).
It can live for about seventeen years.