Montagus harrier female portrait, Talchappar

The Montagu’s harrier is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier family. Its common name commemorates the British naturalist George Montagu. 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 and hen harriers. 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 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 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. The […]

Montagu’s harrier flight with prey

The Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus) is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier family. Its common name commemorates the British naturalist George Montagu. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek. Circus is from kirkos, referring to a bird of prey named for its circling flight. The diet consists mainly of small rodents, small birds, bird eggs, reptiles (including snakes) and large insects. Prey is caught while flying along fixed routes at low heights and constant low speeds (c. 30 km/h (19 mph)), 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. These are characterized as least concern by IUCN.

Smiling montagu harrier male

The Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus) is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier family. Its common name commemorates the British naturalist George Montagu. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek. Circus is from kirkos, referring to a bird of prey named for its circling flight. The diet consists mainly of small rodents, small birds, bird eggs, reptiles (including snakes) and large insects. Prey is caught while flying along fixed routes at low heights and constant low speeds (c. 30 km/h (19 mph)), 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. These are characterized as least concern by IUCN.

Sunning Montagu’s Harrier Female

The Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus) is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier family. Its common name commemorates the British naturalist George Montagu. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek. Circus is from kirkos, referring to a bird of prey named for its circling flight. The diet consists mainly of small rodents, small birds, bird eggs, reptiles (including snakes) and large insects. Prey is caught while flying along fixed routes at low heights and constant low speeds (c. 30 km/h (19 mph)), 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. These are characterized as least concern by IUCN.

Regurgitating Montagu’s Harrier Female

Regurgitating is the process of bringing the already swallowed food back to the mouth. The Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus) is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier family. Its common name commemorates the British naturalist George Montagu. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek. Circus is from kirkos, referring to a bird of prey named for its circling flight. The diet consists mainly of small rodents, small birds, bird eggs, reptiles (including snakes) and large insects. Prey is caught while flying along fixed routes at low heights and constant low speeds (c. 30 km/h (19 mph)), 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. These are characterized as least concern by IUCN.