View source for Montagu's harrier

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{{Taxobox
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref>{{IUCN|id=22695405 |title=''Circus pygargus'' |assessor=BirdLife International |assessor-link=BirdLife International |version=2013.2 |year=2013 |accessdate=26 November 2013}}</ref>
| image = Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus).jpg
| range_map = Circus pygargus dis.PNG
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
| classis = [[Bird|Aves]]
| ordo = [[Accipitriformes]]
| familia = [[Accipitridae]]
| genus = ''[[Circus (genus)|Circus]]''
| species = '''''C. pygargus'''''
| binomial = ''Circus pygargus''
| binomial_authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]])
| range_map_caption = Range of ''C. pygargus'' {{leftlegend|#00FF00|Breeding range|outline=gray}}{{leftlegend|#0080FF|Wintering range|outline=gray}}
}}

The '''Montagu's harrier '''(''Circus pygargus'') is a [[bird migration|migratory]] [[bird of prey]] of the [[harrier (bird)|harrier]] family. Its common name commemorates the British [[natural history|naturalist]] [[George Montagu (naturalist)|George Montagu]].

==Taxonomy==
The first [[Species description|formal description]] of Montagu's harrier was by the Swedish naturalist [[Carl Linnaeus]] in 1758 in the [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|tenth edition]] of his ''[[Systema Naturae]]'' under the [[binomial nomenclature|binomial name]] ''Falco pygargus''.<ref>{{cite book | last=Linnaeus | first=C. | authorlink=Carl Linnaeus | year=1758 | title= Systema Naturæ per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis, Volume 1| edition=10th | page=89 | publisher=Holmiae:Laurentii Salvii  | language=Latin | url=http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726996}}</ref> The [[genus]] ''[[Circus]]'' was introduced by the French naturalist [[Bernard Germain de Lacépède]] in 1799.<ref>{{ cite book | last=Lacépède | first=Bernard Germain de | authorlink=Bernard Germain de Lacépède | year=1799 | title=Discours d'ouverture et de clôture du cours d'histoire naturelle | chapter=Tableau des sous-classes, divisions, sous-division, ordres et genres des oiseux | language=French | publisher=Plassan | place=Paris | page=4 | chapter-url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=6uhAAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA78 }} Page numbering starts at one for each of the three sections.<!--BHL appears not to have a scan--></ref><ref>{{ cite book | editor1-last=Mayr | editor1-first=Ernst | editor1-link=Ernst Mayr | editor2-last=Cottrell | editor2-first=G. William | year=1979 | title=Check-list of Birds of the World. Volume 1 | edition=2nd | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=316 | url=http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16108956 }}</ref>  The genus name is derived from the [[Ancient Greek]]. ''Circus'' is from ''kirkos'', referring to a bird of prey named for its circling flight (''kirkos'', "circle"), probably the [[hen harrier]], and ''pygargus'' is [[Modern Latin]] derived from Greek ''pugargos'', from ''puge'',"rump" and ''argos'', "shining white". The species name was formerly used for the hen harrier before Montagu's was identified as a different species.<ref name=Jobling>{{cite book | last= Jobling | first= James A. | year=2010| title=The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | publisher=Christopher Helm | location=London | isbn=978-1-4081-2501-4 | pages=109, 325}}</ref>
[[File:Montagu's Harrier Male.jpg|alt= Montagu's Harrier Male|thumb|Montagu's Harrier Male, Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India]]

==Identification==
[[File:Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus) In flight.jpg|thumb|Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus) In flight from Tal Chappar]]

===Plumage===
[[Sexual dimorphism]] is particularly apparent in the [[plumage]] of this species. Adult males are characterized by their overall pale grey plumage contrasting with black wingtips. Compared with other harriers this species has characteristic black bands along the secondaries, both above and below the wing and rusty streaks on belly and flanks. Adult females have a broadly similar plumage to that of [[Pallid harrier|pallid]] and [[hen harrier]]s. The underparts are mostly pale yellow-brown, the belly with longitudinal stripes and the wing coverts spotted. The upper parts are uniform dark brown except for the white upper tail coverts ("rump"), and the sightly paler central wing coverts.

The [[Juvenile (organism)|juvenile]] plumage resembles that of the female, but differs by the belly and under wing coverts which are not spotted, but uniformly red brown in colour.

A [[Melanism|melanistic]] form occurs regularly in this species. In this form the male is much darker than usual, with a black head, brownish black above and grey underparts. The melanistic female is entirely chocolate brown except for grey flight feathers. Partially melanistic morphs can also be found.

===Flight===
The Montagu's harrier has a particularly graceful flight, with powerful and elegant wingbeats which give an impression of buoyancy and ease. In true harrier fashion it searches the countryside, flying low, and generally holds its wings with a marked positive [[dihedral (aircraft)|dihedral]].

[[File:Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus) grounded.jpg|thumb|Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus) from Tal Chappar]]

===Dimensions===
The Montagu's harrier is a deceptively small raptor, though it appears larger because of its large wing surface compared to small body weight, which gives it a typically buoyant flight. The female is larger than the male because the female needs to produce eggs, however this is not apparent in the field.

* Wingspan: {{Convert|97|-|115|cm|in|abbr=on}}
* Length: {{Convert|43|-|47|cm|in|abbr=on}} (tail: {{Convert|16|-|18|cm|in|abbr=on}})
* [[body weight|Weight]] (average):
** Male: {{Convert|265|g|oz|abbr=on}}
** Female: {{Convert|345|g|oz|abbr=on}}

===Risk of confusion===
The Montagu's harrier can be confused with several species that exist within the same range. The most similar are the [[hen harrier]] and the [[pallid harrier]]. The male is easily distinguished from other species as its plumage is distinctly darker and more mottled than in the males of hen or pallid harriers. However, distinguishing females and juveniles is more difficult. Usually the Montagu's harrier appears more slender in flight than the hen harrier with a longer tail, longer and narrower wings and more pointed "hands". Also its flight is more elegant than the hen harrier, with more elastic, almost tern-like wingbeats. The distinction between female pallid and Montagu's harriers is the most delicate and can only be made in good conditions as the proportions are similar. The best recognition character is the pale collar around the neck of female and juvenile pallid harriers which is not present in the Montagu's.

==Habitat==
This species can be found in a middle-latitude band of predominantly [[temperate|temperate climate]]s, but also in [[Mediterranean climate|Mediterranean]], and [[boreal climate|boreal]] zones. Although it has been found nesting up to {{Convert|1500|m|ft|abbr=on}}, it is essentially a lowland species, and nests mostly in broad river valleys, plains, and levels bordering lakes and the sea. It can breed in [[wetland]]s, though these are often smaller and dryer than those used by the [[marsh harrier]]. It also utilizes [[Heath (habitat)|heaths]], [[dunes]], [[Moorland|moor]]s, and can be found in the [[steppe]]. It adapts to [[shrubland]]s in [[gorse]] or [[Calluna|heather]] and to areas planted with young [[conifer]]s.

[[File:Montagu's Harrier, juvenile, Bangalore, India.jpg|thumb|Adult Female]]
When no other suitable habitat is available this harrier will nest in agricultural farmlands where it is vulnerable to early harvesting. Amongst these it chooses especially grasslands and [[cereal]] crops such as [[wheat]], [[barley]], [[oats]] and [[colza]]. In western Europe, up to 70% of the population breeds in artificial habitats.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}}
[[File:Montagu's Harrier- Male.JPG|thumb|Adult Male]]
In short, for breeding the Montagu's harrier requires a large open area, with sufficiently tall ground vegetation to afford cover without being overgrown. It favours posts on which both male and female can rest and survey the breeding area: these can be fenceposts, small trees, or rocky outcrops. When hunting, in any season, it prefers areas of low or sparse vegetation where prey is more visible. Densely settled areas are generally avoided and it is highly susceptible to disturbance.

==Food and foraging methods==
The diet consists mainly of small [[rodent]]s, small [[bird]]s, bird eggs, reptiles (including [[snake]]s) and large [[insect]]s (mainly Orthoptera, which are numerically the most common).<ref name=Arroyo1997/>

As this bird has a wide distribution, it will take whatever prey is available in the area where it nests; in the northern range it will mainly take [[ground squirrel]]s and [[rabbit]]s, whereas in southern [[Europe]], it mostly takes small [[reptile]]s and large [[insect]]s. In areas where the food supply is composed almost exclusively of [[rodent]]s, the breeding success depends greatly on the cyclic fluctuations of [[vole]] populations.<ref name=Salamolard2000/>

Prey is caught while flying along fixed routes at low heights and constant low speeds (c. {{Convert|30|kph|mph|abbr=on}}), as is typical of harriers. The flight is considered lighter and more dexterous than other harriers enabling it to take more agile prey. When possible it often follows the edges of various vegetation to catch its prey by surprise. This is taken after a short stoop, though fast running animals and flying birds can be chased over a short distance. 
 
During the breeding season, the male will provision the female and later the young with food. The rate of provisioning increases from 5 to 6 times per day during incubation to 7 to 10 times per day when young have hatched, though the male can be handicapped by wet, foggy or windy weather. In a manner typical of harriers, prey is passed between partners in the air: The female flies underneath the male, who drops the prey for her to catch. The male hunts over a large area up to {{Convert|12|km|mi|abbr=on}} away from the nest. The female hunts closer to the nest, up to {{Convert|1|km|mi|abbr=on}} away, and only after the young have hatched.

==Status and distribution==
This species can still be found throughout most of the Western [[Palearctic]]. In most [[Europe]]an countries there is at least a small population, except in [[Norway]] where it is not present. The breeding range extends as far east as the [[Ural Mountains|Ural]]s, whereas the most western population is that of [[Portugal]]. Breeding also occurs in northern [[Africa]], mostly in [[Morocco]]. In [[Great Britain]], the species is limited to southern England. In [[Ireland]] the species is rarely seen, and mainly in the South, although there are a number of breeding records, the most recent from 1971.<ref name=irishbirding/> Despite having a wide distribution, this bird is not common in many areas and has strong populations only in France, Spain, [[Russia]], [[Belarus]] and [[Poland]] where the greater part of the European population can be found. Breeding sites frequently change, with some sporadic nesting occurring outside known breeding areas, however clear signs of reduced range are apparent and are associated with population decline.

===Status in Britain===
Montagu's harrier is a rare breeding bird in Britain. There are two breeding areas – the area surrounding [[The Wash]], and downland areas of southern England, from [[Dorset]] and [[Hampshire]] north to [[Oxfordshire]]. Away from these areas it occurs only as a scarce migrant. One site, Estuary Farm, near North Wootton in west Norfolk, a special observation area was negotiated with local landowners, so that pressure could be taken off other nesting pairs.<ref name=Evans1996/> In 2005, a pair bred on the [[Holkham]] estate.<ref name=holkham2006/> In 2015, it was reported that some Montagu's harrier were nesting at [[Blacktoft Sands]], Humberside.<ref>{{cite news|title=UK's rarest bird of prey nesting at Humber site|url=http://www.scunthorpetelegraph.co.uk/UK-s-rarest-bird-prey-nesting-Humber-site/story-26742849-detail/story.html|work=Scunthorpe Telegraph|date=22 June 2015}}</ref>

==Population trends==
The population for the western [[Palearctic]] is estimated at 35,000–50,000 pairs. The global population is unknown and could be anything between 150,000 and 200,000 individuals(Birdlife International, 2004). This uncertainty is due to the fact that most of the world's population is situated in [[Russia]] and [[former Soviet republics]] where it is not quantified.

The evolution has been paradoxical throughout the 20th century. In the beginning of the century up to the 1940s, during a period when other raptors greatly decreased because of human persecution, the Montagu's harrier actually increased its population and breeding range, breeding for the first time in [[Denmark]] in the 1900s, and greatly increasing elsewhere. However, from the 1940s onwards it has decreased rapidly. This is due to several negative factors: first, the massive use of agricultural pesticides such as [[DDT]] and other environmental poisons was extremely detrimental to the harriers themselves, as well as rarefying their prey, in particular large [[insect]]s. The modification of agricultural practises, with an evolution towards more intensive farming also puts pressure on harriers, with faster growing crops preventing those birds that nest in farmlands from finishing their nidification before their clutches are destroyed by harvesting machines. Despite a generally negative trend there are local cases when the population has increased, such as in [[Sweden]] or in Germany<ref name=Belting/> in the 1990s. These local trends show that while they have access to suitable habitats and food supply there can still be positive developments.

==Social behaviour and breeding==
It can be both solitary and gregarious at times, both during the breeding season and in winter quarters. A breeding pair may associate with others to form loose [[Bird colony|colonies]], with as many as 30 nests in the same area, sometimes as close as {{Convert|10|m|ft|abbr=on}} apart. Semi-colonial nesting is not due to a shortage of nesting sites, but arises rather from the need to provide a better defence against predators.<ref name=Arroyo2001/> The actual area defended by both partners covers only {{Convert|300|-|400|m|ft|abbr=on}} around the nest, and in case of colonial nesting the response to predators may be [[community|communal]]. Other species attacked and mobbed include large [[Bird of prey|raptors]], [[corvidae|corvid]]s, and [[fox]]es.
[[File:Circus pygargus MWNH 0857.JPG|thumb|Egg, Collection [[Museum Wiesbaden]]]]
Reproduction begins with the return of both partners to the nesting site, at which point both male and female will start displaying. The display consists of various sky-dances and aerobatic figures that vary according to each individual. Both sexes will display, crying loudly, though the males' displays are more frequent and spectacular. Montagu's harriers breed for the first time when two or three years old, but occasionally one year old females may attempt to nest. Pairs form on the territory, when returning from migration. As the birds are tied to their former nesting sites, they probably mate with the same partner every year. The nest is built by the female, always in tall vegetation. It is a simple construction made of grass, used only for one season. The female lays 3 to 5 eggs which are incubated for 27–40 days. The young leave the nest after 28–42 days and are independent two weeks later.

The males may be [[polygamous]], then having to feed two females and later two broods, either simultaneously or consecutively.

==Migration==
The Montagu's harrier is a long distance [[bird migration|migrant]]. Birds from [[Eurasia]] spend the winter in sub-[[Sahara]]n [[Africa]], while those from the eastern part of the range migrate to the [[Indian subcontinent]]. In Europe, the first birds start to move at the beginning of August and most have left by mid-October. They travel over a broad front, crossing the Mediterranean at various points, and only a small number are observed at migration choke points. Western birds don't go further south than the [[gulf of Guinea]], but some eastern birds travel as far as [[South Africa]]. In Africa, their diet is composed mostly of insects and birds, and it is possible that they follow [[locust]] swarms.<ref name=grauwekiekendief/> 
[[File:Youngmonties.jpg|thumb|Young Montagu's harriers during relocation.]]
Spring return peaks in April, and most birds have arrived by May though there is evidence that first-year juveniles spend their first summer in the winter quarters

==Conservation issues==
In western Europe, an estimated 70% of breeding pairs nest in agricultural farmlands, especially cereal crops. This makes the Montagu's harrier a very vulnerable species, and very dependent on nest protection. Bird protection [[non-governmental organization]]s participate in their protection, in collaboration with concerned landowners. Once a nest is spotted in a field, it can be safeguarded either by relocating it to a safer area or by creating a protected space which will not be harvested.<ref name=grauwekiekendief2/> In France and in the [[Iberian Peninsula]], an average 60% of nestlings are saved by this kind of measures.<ref name=Arroyo2002/>

==References==
<!-- Forktail14:70. -->
{{reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name=Arroyo1997>{{cite journal |last=Arroyo |first=B.E. |title=Diet of Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus in central Spain: analysis of temporal and geographic variation |journal=Ibis |year=1997 |volume=139 |pages=664–672 |doi=10.1111/j.1474-919x.1997.tb04689.x}}</ref>

<ref name=Arroyo2001>{{cite journal |last1=Arroyo |first1=Beatriz |last2=Mougeot |first2=François |last3=Bretagnolle |first3=Vincent |year=2001 |title=Colonial breeding and nest defence in Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus) |journal=Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology |issn=0340-5443 |url=http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=14099006}}</ref>

<ref name=Arroyo2002>{{cite journal |last1=Arroyo |first1=Beatriz |first2=Jesús T. |last2=García |first3=Vincent |last3=Bretagnolle  |title=Conservation of the Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus) in agricultural areas |journal=Animal Conservation |volume=5 |issue=4 |page=283 |date=November 2002 |url=http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1017/S1367943002004031 |doi=10.1017/s1367943002004031}}</ref>

<ref name=Belting>{{cite journal |last1=Belting |first1=C. |first2=R.M. |last2=Krüger |trans_title=Population development and strategies for the protection of Montagu's Harrier in Bavaria |title=Populationsentwicklung und Schutzstrategien für die Wiesenweihe Circus pygargus in Bayern |language=de |url=http://www.zobodat.at/pdf/Anzeiger-Ornith-Ges-Bayerns_41_2-3_0087-0092.pdf |journal=Ornithologischer Anzeiger |volume=87 |pages=87–92 |year=2002}}</ref>

<ref name=Evans1996>{{cite book |last=Evans |first=Lee G.R. |year=1996 |title=The Ultimate Site Guide to Scarcer British Birds |isbn=1-898918-15-5}}</ref>

<ref name="grauwekiekendief">{{cite web | url=http://werkgroepgrauwekiekendief.nl/ | title=Montagu's harrier migration | website=werkgroepgrauwekiekendief.nl}}</ref>
<ref name="grauwekiekendief2">{{cite web | url=http://werkgroepgrauwekiekendief.nl/ | title=Nest protection put into practice at grauwekiekendief.nl | website=werkgroepgrauwekiekendief.nl}}</ref>

<ref name=holkham2006>{{cite journal |title=Rare Harriers Breed at Holkham |url=http://www.holkham.co.uk/downloads/holkham-newsletter-winter-spring-2006.pdf |journal=Holkham Newsletter |number=11 |year=2006}}</ref>

<ref name=irishbirding>{{cite web |url=http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web |title=Irish Birding}}</ref>

<ref name=Salamolard2000>{{cite journal |last1=Salamolard |first1=M. |last2=Butet |first2=A. |last3=Leroux |first3=A. |last4=Bretagnolle |first4=V. |year=2000 |title=Responses of an avian predator to variations in prey density at a temperate latitude |journal=Ecology |issn=0012-9658 |doi=10.1890/0012-9658(2000)081[2428:ROAAPT]2.0.CO;2}}</ref>
}}

* {{cite book |editor1-last=Cramp |editor1-first=S. |editor2-last=Simmons |editor2-first=K.E.L. |year=1980 |title=[[The Birds of the Western Palearctic]] |volume=Vol. II |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-857505-X}}
* {{cite book |last=Gensbøl |first=Benny |year=1989 |title=Collins guide to the Birds of Prey of Britain and Europe North Africa and the Middle East |publisher=William Collins Sons and Co Ltd. |isbn=0-00-219176-8}}

== Further reading ==

=== Identification ===
* {{cite journal |last=Forsman |first=Dick |year=1995 |url=http://www.dutchbirding.nl/content/journal/pdf/1995-2.pdf |title=Field identification of female and juvenile Montagu's and Pallid Harriers |journal=[[Dutch Birding]] |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=41–54}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Circus pygargus}}
{{wikispecies|Circus pygargus}}
* [http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/166.pdf Montagu's harrier species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds]
* [http://www.werkgroepgrauwekiekendief.nl/ Website of the Dutch Montagu's harrier foundation]
* [http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/?project_id=139&dyn=1158053167 Satellite tracking map] - Migration and breeding ecology of Montagu's harriers (Spain)
* {{ARKive}}
* [http://aulaenred.ibercaja.es/wp-content/uploads/115_MontagusHarrierCpygargus.pdf Ageing and sexing (PDF; 5.9 MB) by Javier Blasco-Zumeta & Gerd-Michael Heinze]
* {{InternetBirdCollection|montagus-harrier-circus-pygargus}}
* {{VIREO|montagu's+harrier}}

{{taxonbar}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:harrier, Montaigu's}}
[[Category:Harriers (birds)|Montagu's harrier]]
[[Category:Birds of Europe]]
[[Category:Birds of Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Vagrant birds of Africa]]
[[Category:Vagrant birds of South Asia]]
[[Category:Birds described in 1758|Montagu's harrier]]