western Marsh Harrier - Hawk flying over dyarna

Marsh Harrier i- Hawk flying over dyarna Enk�ping.Western Marsh Harrier, hawkes, flying high in sky spring 2013.... more

by Leif Sohlman

Title

western Marsh Harrier - Hawk flying over dyarna

Artist

Leif Sohlman

Medium

Photograph - Photo Photography

Description

Marsh Harrier i- Hawk flying over dyarna Enk�ping.Western Marsh Harrier, hawkes, flying high in sky spring 2013.
Canon 5D mk III
The Western Marsh-harrier (Circus aeruginosus) is a large harrier, a bird of prey from temperate and subtropical western Eurasia and adjacent Africa. It is also known as the Eurasian Marsh-harrier.

Formerly, a number of relatives were included in C. aeruginosus, which was then known as "Marsh Harrier". The related taxa are now generally considered to be separate species: the Eastern Marsh-harrier (C. spilonotus) and the possibly distinct Papuan Harrier (C. (s.) spilothorax) of eastern Asia and the Wallacea, the Swamp Harrier (C. approximans) of Australasia and the Madagascar Marsh-harrier (C. maillardi) of the western Indian Ocean islands.

The Western Marsh-harrier is often divided into two subspecies, the widely migratory C. a. aeruginosus which is found across most of its range, and C. a. harterti which is resident all-year in north-west Africa
The start of the breeding season varies from mid-March to early May. Western Marsh-harrier males often pair with two and occasionally three females. Pair bonds usually last for a single breeding season, but some pairs remain together for several years.

The ground nest is made of sticks, reeds and grasses. It is usually built in a reedbed, but the species will also nest in arable fields. There are between three and eight eggs in a normal clutch. The eggs are oval in shape and white in colour, with a bluish or greenish tinge when recently laid. The eggs are incubated for 31�38 days and the young birds fledge after 35�40 days
The Western Marsh-harrier declined in many areas between the 19th and the late 20th centuries due to persecution, habitat destruction and excessive pesticide use. It is a now a protected species in many countries. Its numbers are rising again in many places, most notably perhaps in Great Britain, where a single breeding female was left in 1971, whereas today over 200 pairs are present.

It still faces a number of threats, including the shooting of birds migrating through the Mediterranean region. They are vulnerable to disturbance during the breeding season and also liable to lead shot poisoning. Still, the threats to this bird have been largely averted and it is today classified as Species of Least Concern by the IUCN.

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Uploaded

October 7th, 2014