Status in UK:
(A) Migrant/Resident Breeder, Passage/Winter Visitor
Subspecies:cyaneus, hudsonius recorded in Britain (of 2 subsp. in the world)
.
Length:
48 cm
Wingspan:
110 cm
Weight:
M: 350 g F: 500 g
Scientific name from:
Gr.: kirkos=a type of hawk
and L.: cyaneus=dark-blue (from Gr.:kuanos)
World Distribution:
BREEDS: Europe, n&c Asia, North America, WINTERS: south to n Africa, s Asia & n South America
Habitat:
Moor, marsh, steppe and fields
Diet:
Mostly, small birds, nestlings and small rodents
TitBit:
The relationship between harrier and grouse and their keepers is a complex and contentious one, but harriers feed mainly on voles and pipits, which prefer grassland, good moor management for heather will exclude both the harrier and its prey
Population and Distribution
Population Trend:
Wider Countryside Report
Regional Trends:
No regional trends available
Distribution:
No distribution maps available
British Population Size:
Summer:
617 to 764 terr pairs
in 2004
Winter:
750 individuals
in 1981-83
Note: Best estimate
First Record:
1544
Latest Survey:
Sim, I.M.W. et al. (2007) Bird Study 54:256-267
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
No habitat data from BBS
European Population Size:
Summer:
12 to 19 thousand pairs
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of:
WCA(I,IV), WBD(I), Bern(III), Bonn(II), CITES(II)
Survey Results:
Breeding and Survival
Egg Size:
46 x 36 mm
Egg Weight:
31.0 g (of which 8 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records:
50
(more would be welcome!)
Clutch Size:
4 - 5 eggs
4.63 ± 1.07 (2 - 8) N = 370
Incubation:
34 days
33.77 ± 2.42 (29 - 40) N = 370
by the:
Female
Fledging:
37 - 42 days
38.68 ± 3.96 (31 - 46) N = 578
as:
Altricial, downy
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Nest Record Scheme data
First Clutches Laid:
Unavailable
Number of Broods:
1
Trends in Breeding Productivity
Number Ringed:
296
Adult Survival:
0.804
Juvenile Survival:
No data
Age at First Breeding:
2
years
Typical Lifespan:
7
years
Maximum Recorded Age:
15yr9m
(The Netherlands: 17yr 1m)
Biometrics
Ring Size:
E or F
Wing Length
Adult:
Insufficient Data.
Juvenile:
Insufficient Data.
Male:
Insufficient Data
Female:
Insufficient Data
Weight
Adult:
Insufficient Data.
Juvenile:
Insufficient Data.
Male:
Insufficient Data
Female:
Insufficient Data
Other Names
Northern Harrier
Gaelic:
Clamhan-nan-cearc
Welsh:
Bod Tinwen
Danish:
Blå kærhøg
Dutch:
Blauwe kiekendief
Finnish:
Sinisuohaukka
French:
Busard Saint-Martin
German:
Kornweihe
Hungarian:
Kékes rétihéja
Icelandic:
Bláheiðir
Irish:
Cromán na Cearc
Italian:
Albanella reale
Norwegian:
Myrhauk
Polish:
Blotniak zbozowy
Portuguese:
Tartaranhão-azulado
Spanish:
Aguilucho pálido
Swedish:
Blå kärrhök
Local Names: Ringtail (f) / Miller /Northern Harrier
For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
Simmons, R. 2000 Harriers of the world : their behaviour and ecology Oxford University Press, Oxford
[598.521 SIM]
Clarke, R. 1990 Harriers of the British Isles Shire Publications, Princes Risborough
[Jour: S]
See Also:
All About Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Gough, G.A. et al. (1998) Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter
Wikipedia entry
State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead
BOU Register of Avian Theses entry
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides.com
These data should be cited as: Robinson, R.A. (2005) BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland (v1.22, Oct 2008). BTO Research Report 407, BTO, Thetford (http://www.bto.org/birdfacts)
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Other Names
