UK's rarest bird of prey rears new chicks in secret location
Summary
The UK's rarest bird of prey, the Montagu's harrier, has successfully raised six chicks this year in a secret location, marking two years of successful breeding. Conservationists are monitoring the birds closely and have started using satellite tags to learn more about their migration and help protect them.Key Facts
- A male Montagu's harrier bred with two females, raising six chicks in two nests.
- Montagu's harriers are on the UK's "red list" of most at-risk birds since 2021.
- The number of successful nests dropped from nine in 2011 to none between 2020 and 2024 before this recent success.
- Nests are protected by fences to keep out predators like foxes.
- The male harrier feeds the chicks by dropping prey in mid-air, which the female catches.
- These birds migrate to Africa in winter and return to Europe to nest in summer, often in farmland.
- For the first time, two chicks have been tagged with satellite trackers to study their migration and help protect nests.
- Climate change and earlier harvests increase the risk of nests being destroyed by farming machinery.
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