Birds of Prey of the World by Robin Chittenden

Author:Robin Chittenden [Chittenden, Robin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4668-6465-8
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2004-01-02T16:00:00+00:00

HARRIERS

Harriers have a distinctive flight, with their long wings and broad secondaries held up in a “V” shape. They have a weak bill and their legs are thin and long. Their excellent hearing is improved by a large facial ruff and large ear openings, which are useful for locating prey in thick cover.

NORTHERN MARSH HARRIER

Circus aeruginosus

length 19 in (48 cm) wingspan 51 in (130 cm)

This harrier lives in and around marshy habitats, but it will hunt over other types of open countryside, including farmland. The male has silvery-white, black, and brown plumage. The female and young are brown with cream face markings. It is relatively bulky and, in common with most harriers, it glides and soars on “V”-shaped wings. It is found across Europe, Siberia, and Asia, with some populations wintering in Africa. Although it eats a similar diet to other harrier species, it will eat carrion more readily and can hover when trying to locate prey. The male has a spectacular, seemingly out-of-control aerial display, which includes twisting, somersaulting, loops, rolls, and spinning while plummeting from up high. During the breeding season the male regularly passes prey to his mate, in flight, by dropping the food into her talons, which she receives in midflight by rolling onto her back. The male will often pair with more than one female during the breeding season. In these situations the top female is fed more frequently by him than are the other one to two females and thus is more likely to survive and successfully rear chicks.

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