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Western Marsh Harrier
(Circus aeruginosus)
: "Eurasian Marsh Harrier", "Marsh Harrier"
 German name(s): "Rohrweihe"
Size: 43-54 cm; wing span 1.15-1.3 m
Weight: 400-650 g (male), 500-800 g (female)
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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 Click here for a physical description
Western Marsh Harriers are medium-sized birds of prey. Their highly
cryptic
plumage is
dimorphic, i.e.
males and
females
are slightly different.
Male
Western Marsh Harriers have a brown to reddish-brown front
with lighter streaks and mostly dark grey-brown wings with
light-grey streaks on the shoulders. The primaries are dark-grey.
The head is heavily streaked grey and brown, with an owl-like
facial mask similar to that of other species of harriers. The
irises are yellow; the bill is yellow with a black tip. The
legs and feet are also yellow.
Females
are dark-brown overall, with greyish tips to the wing coverts
and the tail. Their chin, frons and crown are light-brown to
ochre. The irises are orange-brown. The bill is greyish-yellow
with a black tip. The legs and feet are also greyish-yellow.
Juvenile
Western Marsh Harriers by and large resemble
females,
but without the ochre tints.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Western
Marsh Harrier at Wikipedia  .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed based
on sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to the
ebird.org
website.
The global distribution of the Western Marsh Harrier is available
HERE
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Western Marsh Harriers are a partly migratory species.
Some consider the sedentary population found in North-west
Africa, from northern Marocco via northern Algeria to northern
Tunisia (the Atlas mountain range and nearby coastal fringe),
to be a race, "harteri", which is separate from the highly
migratory nominate race, "aeruginosus".
Race "aeruginosus"
is permanently present in parts of western Europe, around
the Mediterranean, in Asia Minor, along the coastal fringe
of Lebanon and Israel/Palestine and all around the Black Sea,
along the South coast of the Caspian Sea and
around the Euphrates/Tigris confluence in the border region
of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and southern Iran.
During the northern summers they extend their breeding range
into eastern Europe and central Asia, to a line connecting
the southern Finnish coastline with the north-western part
of China. The southern boundary of their breeding range is
the latitude of the southern Caspian Sea coastline.
The migratory populations spend the northern winters in one
of several areas: The river Nile valley, sub-Saharan Africa
and parts of central eastern Africa, southern Yemen, the border
region between the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia or on the Indian
subcontinent, from southern Pakistan to the border of Bangladesh
with Burma, including Sri Lanka.
In Europe Western Marsh Harriers, race "aeruginosus",
are permanent residents in south-eastern England, the Benelux
countries and most of France (except the eastern part), in all
of Iberia, around the
Mediterranean Sea, including the Mediterranean islands,
from the Adriatic coastline to the Hungarian Pusta, in
all of Greece, Macedonia, southern Romania and Bulgaria and
all around the Black Sea.
Their summer breeding range encompasses all of the rest of
Europe, except most of Scandinavia and northern European
Russia. They do not the rest of the British Isles either.
While Western Swamp Harriers are found in both the Pyrenees
and the Alps, they do not enter the Caucasus mountain range.
Western Marsh Harriers have a strong preference for aquatic
habitats, around both fresh water and saline water. During
the breeding season they require dense cover for the nest,
such as e.g. reeds.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "aeruginosus"
D. Wilczynska reports spotting a Western Marsh Harrier, race
"aeruginosus", near the river Bug, near Brok, Masovia,
Poland, in August 2016.
J. Pires reports spotting Western
Marsh Harriers, race
"aeruginosus", semi-regularly since 2017 in the area
of the Tejo estuary to Mora, Evora, Portugal.
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Photos |
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Race "aeruginosus"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
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Frontal view of a male Western Marsh Harrier in gliding flight
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, August 2016]
Near-lateral/ventral view of a male Western Marsh Harrier, with a
clear view of its underwing pattern
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, August 2016]
Lateral view of a male Western Marsh Harrier in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires )
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, July 2018]
Lateral view of a male Western Marsh Harrier in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires )
[Tejo Estuary Nature Reserve, Portugal, June 2018]
Male Western Marsh Harrier banking to dive down on its prey
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, August 2016]
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FEMALE |
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Distant frontal view of a female Western Marsh Harrier in
flight; note the long, dangling legs
(photo courtesy of J. Pires )
[Odemira, Beja, Portugal, October 2018]
Near-lateral/ventral view of a female Western Marsh Harrier
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires )
[Alcacer do sal, Setubal, Portugal, December 2018]
Lateral/ventral view of a female Western Marsh Harrier
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires )
[Alcacer do sal, Setubal, Portugal, December 2018]
Lateral view of a female Western Marsh Harrier in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires )
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2018]
Lateral view onto the upperparts of a female Western Marsh
Harrier in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires )
[Odemira, Beja, Portugal, October 2018]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
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Second-year(?) immature male Western Marsh Harrier in low flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires )
[Tejo Estuary Nature Reserve, Portugal, January 2018]
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.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
