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6

Hen Harrier

(Circus cyaneus)
German name(s): "Kornweihe"
Size: 41-52 cm (incl. tail); wing span 1.0-1.2 m
Weight: 290-400 g (male), 390-750 g (female)

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Hen Harrier at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

ADULT

MALE

Lateral view onto the upperparts of a male Hen Harrier in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2019]

Lateral view of a male Hen Harrier in flight, wings down (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2019]

Lateral/ventral view of the underparts of a male Hen Harrier in flight; note the broad dark trailing edge on the wings
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a male Hen Harrier in flight, wings up (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2016]

Near-dorsal view of a male Hen Harrier in flight, wings down (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2016]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Hen Harrier in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2019]

Near-frontal view of a female Hen Harrier in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2019]

Near-lateral view of a female Hen Harrier in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2019]

Lateral view of a female Hen Harrier in flight, wings up; note the darker tertiaries on the underwing compared to the rest of the wing (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2018]

Lateral view of a female Hen Harrier in flight, wings up (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Lagoa dos Patos, Alvito, Beja, Alentejo, Portugal, November 2021]

Lateral view of a female Hen Harrier in flight, wings flat (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, December 2019]

Lateral view of a female Hen Harrier in flight, wings down (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, December 2019]

Lateral/ventral view of a female Hen Harrier in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a female Hen Harrier in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2019]

Distant lateral view of a female Hen Harrier in flight; click on the image to see for comparison a Carrion Crow
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2018]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-lateral view of a juvenile Hen Harrier in flight; note the more chestnut appearance compared to the females shown above (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Near Nieppe, Hauts-de-France, France, November 2020]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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