The Hen Harrier is a bird of prey from the hawk family. Migratory species.
Habitat of the Hen Harrier
The bird lives throughout almost the entire northern hemisphere, throughout the vast territory of Eurasia and North America.
These birds prefer to winter in North Africa, the tropics of Asia or Central America.
In Russia, they are common in various landscapes, namely: tundra, forest-tundra, forest-steppe, steppe.
In central Russia, the hen harrier appears in April, when large thawed patches appear in the snow.
Appearance
Adults reach a body length of 45-52 cm and a meter wingspan, with females being somewhat larger than males. The weight of females is from 380 to 600 grams, the weight of males is 280 -350 grams.
They also differ in color: a reddish-brown female and an ash-gray male. The top of the birds is dark, the abdomen and chest are speckled white. Three transverse stripes are always clearly visible on the lower part of the female's tail. The eyes and legs are yellow, the beak is black.
All young harriers under one year of age look similar to females, differing only in an even more reddish hue and fewer speckles.
The calling card common to all harriers, which distinguishes them from other predators of the hawk family, is the facial disc, which looks like an owl. This arrangement of feathers improves their hearing, which these birds actively use in searching for prey.
Lifestyle. Nutrition
They lead an active lifestyle during the day and at dusk. Thanks to its long wings and tail, the Hen Harrier can hover silently above the ground and hunt down rodents (mice, voles and hamsters) that make up up to 95% of its diet. The remainder consists of amphibians, insects, reptiles and, occasionally, carrion.
male harrier photo
The harrier flies slowly, alternating between flapping its wings and hovering low above the ground. They arrive from the wintering grounds in early April and fly away after nesting in September.
Reproduction
These hen harriers reach maturity a year after birth. They often nest in sparse colonies of 15-20 individuals.
Hen Harrier nest photo
Moreover, females choose one single companion, but among males there are occasionally harem lovers who court several “ladies” at the same time. This is not so simple, because the male must get food while his girlfriend builds a nest and incubates the eggs.
A flat nest of branches and vegetation, lined with grass and leaves, is built directly on the ground or on a small hummock. In May or June, the female lays 4-6 eggs and incubates them for a month. During this period and another two weeks after the chicks hatch, the male provides food for his family.
However, he does not approach the nest: he sits nearby and calls his girlfriend to take the prey from him. Or he simply drops his gifts on the fly in the hope that the female will catch them. A couple of weeks after birth, the mother completely takes care of the offspring and feeds the growing babies until they become completely independent.
- During mating games, the male demonstrates his agility by flying up and falling sharply down. The female joins him in these exercises, but is usually less enthusiastic.
- Harriers do not like to perch on trees. To rest, they prefer to sink to the ground.
- The harrier's eyes, unlike those of a hawk or an eagle, are not located strictly on the sides, but are shifted to the front of the head, which, together with the facial disc, makes this bird slightly similar to an owl.
- The chicks leave their nest at the age of 35 days, and soon set off on their first big journey - seasonal migration.
- The Hen Harrier differs from its close relative, the Steppe Harrier, by the pronounced border between the white belly and the darker chest, as well as by less pointed wing tips.
- This predator can hunt not only during the day, but also at dusk, sometimes continuing the hunt until darkness.
- The Hen Harrier is not only a decoration of plains and meadows, but also an important participant in the ecosystem, successfully regulating the number of rodents and insects.
Description of the bird
On average, the body length of a harrier is from 40 to 60 cm. The tail and wings of birds of this genus are long, which helps them fly slowly and silently low above the ground. During such a flight, harriers hunt - they look for lizards, chicks, rodents, and frogs on the surface of the earth. The harrier's legs are also long, which is necessary for the bird to grab prey in the grass. On the sides of the harrier's head there is a facial disc similar to that of an owl.
The basis of the harrier's diet consists of mouse-like rodents, namely voles, hamsters, and mice. Where there is a lot of such prey, the harrier will feed exclusively on rodents. Thus, in America, Pennsylvania voles become the main prey of the harrier. The harrier hunts, flying low and silently over the surface of the earth, on which the bird carefully looks out for its prey.
Harriers also eat amphibians, reptiles, and insects. They hunt other birds, hares, gophers,... They rarely feed on carrion.
Bird distribution
The distribution range of harrier species is very wide, including Eurasia, North America, Africa, and Australia. The bird is not found only in polar regions. Prefers to live in open spaces. Some species migrate, but most are sedentary birds.
Common types of harrier
The bird's body length is from 50 to 60 cm, weight is in the range of 500-750 g, wingspan is from 110 to 140 cm. Females are larger than males.
The plumage of adult males is gray, white, brown or black. The crown is brown or black. The wings are silver-gray. The back and shoulders are black or brown. Females have an ocher head with dark spots, a brown back, and a brown belly with an ocher spot on the chest; the wings are grayish or brown, with streaks. Young birds resemble females in appearance. The iris is yellow, the beak and claws are black, the paws are yellow.
The species' habitat includes the temperate zone of Eurasia, northwestern Africa, the island of Madagascar, and Australia. Northern populations are migratory.
The plumage on the back of the male is black, the tail is gray, the wings are also gray with wide black stripes. There are white markings on the facial disc. The abdomen can be either white or black. Females generally resemble males in color, but the black color in their plumage is replaced by brown.
The species is distributed in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Guyana, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Chile, French Guiana. Birds live in open spaces of dry savannas, pastures, water meadows, swamps, and forest clearings.
Females of this species are larger than males, their body length reaches 46 cm, while that of males does not exceed 40 cm. The wingspan is 90-115 cm. The color of the male plumage is dark gray on the back with black tips of the wings, the rump is white. The abdomen is pale gray with brown streaks. Females are brown on top with a white rump; their belly is beige with streaks.
The species is found from Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, Chile, and all the way to Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia. The bird is not migratory, but makes small migrations in April and May, from which it returns in early autumn.
The bird's body length is about 47 cm, its wingspan is from 97 to 118 cm. The tail and wings are long. The weight of females is from 390 to 600 g, males are usually smaller in size, their weight is 290-390 g. Sexual dimorphism is also expressed in plumage. The male’s back, throat, crop and “cap” on the head are ash-gray; the tummy, facial disc and rump are white. There is a white spot on the lower back. The dark top and light bottom are clearly separated. A black stripe runs along the rear edge of the wings. The female's back is dark brown with reddish stripes, her belly is light ocher with dark streaks. The underside of the wing has three longitudinal dark stripes. Young birds resemble females in appearance, but they have less streaks and more red in color. The iris is yellow, in young birds it is grayish-brown. Paws are yellow.
The species is distributed in the northern hemisphere from the forest-tundra of the north to the steppe zone of southern Eurasia. In addition to the mainland, the bird is found on the British, Orkney, Hebrides, Shantar Islands, and Sakhalin. The Hen Harrier also lives in North America.
All populations are migratory.
The back of males is light gray with dark shoulders, eyebrows and cheeks are white. The belly is light gray. The wings are gray above with a white border, white below. The rump is light, the tail is gray with a white border. The beak is black, the iris and legs are yellow. Females are brown above with a mottled head, and the tips of their wings are rufous. The forehead, eyebrows and spots under the eyes are white. Cheeks dark brown. The wings are gray. The rump is white. The tail is brown. The undertail is reddish or rufous. The legs are yellow, the iris is brown.
The bird lives in the south of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. For the winter it goes to India and southeast Asia.
The bird's body length is from 43.5 to 52.5 cm, weight is 310-550 g, wingspan is from 105 to 115 cm. Females are larger in size than males. Males have black plumage on the head, back and middle of the wing, part of the wings and rump are white, the belly is light, the throat and breast are black. Females are dark brown on top and have a whitish belly. Young birds are dark brown above, with a buffy-reddish rump and a brownish-red belly. The iris in adults is yellow, in juveniles it is brown. The beak and claws are black, the legs are yellow.
The piebald harrier is common in eastern Asia: in Northern China, Mongolia, and in Russia from Transbaikalia to the Amur region. Migratory species. Spends the winter in southern Asia.
The smallest species of harriers with a body length of 41 to 52 cm, a wingspan of 97 - 120 cm. The weight of males is 227 - 305 g, females are larger and weigh from 319 to 445 g. The plumage of the head, back and wings of the male is ash-gray. . The head, throat and chest are pale gray. The belly and undertail are white with brown spots. The wings are dark above and light below with bright stripes. Transverse stripes are also visible on the tail. The female's back is grayish-brown, her belly is buffy. The species differs from related species by a white spot on the lower back. Young birds are dark brown, similar to females. The beak is black. Rainbow is yellow.
The species is distributed in northeast Africa (Morocco, Algeria) and in Eurasia from the western coast of the Atlantic to the Altai Mountains.
The first sign of sexual dimorphism for the harrier is that females are always larger than males. As for plumage color, differences between the sexes depend on the species. As a rule, males have more contrasting plumage, with a dark top and light bottom, while in females brown tones, red, and mottled predominate.
Harriers reach sexual maturity at the age of 1 year. Most birds are monogamous. While courting the female, the male performs real acrobatic stunts in the sky: first he flies high and then falls sharply down, spinning.
Harriers nest in small colonies, from 15 to 20 pairs. During the mating season, the harrier guards its territory very carefully, drives away birds from the nest and even attacks humans.
Harrier nests are often built directly on the ground, in clearings near water and large open spaces, such as fields, meadows, and swamps, where the birds hunt. The harrier's nest is a flat structure made of dry thin branches, lined with grass stems on the inside. The diameter of the nest is from 50 to 60 cm, the height is 25-30 cm. The nest is mainly built by the female, while the male hunts.
The harrier has one clutch, which occurs in mid-May or early June. The clutch contains from 3 to 7 (usually 3-5) white eggs with a blue tint. The female does the incubation. Only occasionally does she leave the nest to the male. Hatching lasts about 32 days. The chicks are born in white down with a grayish-ocher tint. The male is engaged in obtaining food, and the female feeds the offspring. After two weeks, the male leaves the nest, and the female continues to care for the offspring. The chicks leave the nest at the age of 1 month.
Harrier's voice
The trills of the harrier resemble a rattling squeal and high-pitched squawk. The male has a more melodic voice, with high, abrupt sounds “chek-ek-ek”, thin whistles “kyuv-kyuv” or “tyuv-tyuv”. The voice of females is duller and monosyllabic. During the mating season, the male makes “laughing” fast sounds “chuk-uk-uk” or vibrating trills “tyur-r”.
An alarmed harrier makes short, squealing trills.
- The plumage of some species of harriers is bluish-ash-gray, and from a distance in flight it appears whitish. A white-headed, gray-haired person is often compared to such a bird, when they say “gray-haired, like a harrier.” In addition, the bird's curved beak and crown of feathers around the cheeks and chin are very reminiscent of a bearded, gray-haired old man. There is also a version that this saying is associated with a change in the color of males during maturation, as young birds turn from brown to “gray-haired”.
Unfortunately, an endangered species of birds of prey has emerged in the hawk family. This is a steppe harrier, with which residents of Russia and a number of Asian countries are well familiar.
The bird looks quite original, especially in terms of color. Moreover, males and females differ significantly from each other. The color of males is not uniform. The top of their body is ash-gray. Closer to the shoulders it becomes darker. As for the chest and belly, they are almost white. Light plumage is also present in the eye area. The tips of the wings also have a white edge.
Females look slightly different. Most of their plumage is brown. The tips of the wings are red, and their lower part has a beige tint. White color is present only in the area of the forehead, eyes, and tip of the tail.
The beak of the steppe harrier is black. The paws are colored yellow. Medium sized bird. The body length of an adult reaches 45 centimeters.
Currently, the steppe harrier is an endangered bird species. Its population has survived only in the southeastern part of the European continent. You can meet the harrier in Transbaikalia in the Altai Territory, in the Crimea. They are found in Iran, Turkestan, Mongolia and a number of other countries. In summer, birds migrate to the area of Arkhangelsk, Krasnoyarsk and Omsk, and with the onset of autumn cold weather they fly to India and Burma. Some of them prefer to winter in Africa.
The steppe harrier prefers steppe regions and semi-deserts. It is easier for him to hunt in open areas. Smoothly hovering over the plain, it looks out for prey, which it then attacks. It feeds on small rodents, lizards, mammals, other birds, and insects. Hunts in a certain territory, the boundaries of which it never violates.
The mating season occurs in spring. It is at this time that one can observe the peculiar mating dances of males. Trying to please the female, they perform complex pirouettes in the air, making loud rattling sounds.
The bird builds its nests directly on the ground, mainly on hills. This is a small depression, the bottom of which is lined with dry grass. The female lays the first clutch, consisting of three to five eggs, in early May. The incubation period lasts about a month, and incubation of the eggs is the prerogative of the female. At the end of June, the eggs hatch and the chicks begin to fly within a month.
The male is responsible for feeding the female sitting on the eggs, as well as the newly hatched chicks. About a week later, the female also joins him. By this time, the chicks will be strong enough and can be left alone for some time. The average lifespan of the steppe harrier is 20 years.
The bird's natural enemy is the steppe eagle, which hunts it. A lot of problems for the steppe harrier are caused by people who unceremoniously invade its natural habitat. In particular, he plows up huge areas of the steppes, depriving him of the opportunity to hunt and reproduce. And although the steppe harrier is listed in the Red Book, this does not change the situation in any way. Its population continues to decline.
The steppe harrier is a rare species of birds of prey from the family Accipitridae, from the order Accipitridae.
Appearance
Males have a light back and dark shoulders, cheeks and eyebrows of gray or white. The plumage is mostly light gray or completely white. The wings are long, but narrow and have pointed ends; sometimes they are ash or white in color with light edges.
On the belly, most of the body has gray plumage. The rump of the tail is presented in light tones. It has a brown or brown short, curved beak. The paws and retina of the eyes are yellow. The length of the body without head is 45-47 cm. They weigh about 330 grams.
Females differ slightly from males, primarily in their feathers. So, their upper part is dark in color, and their neck and head have a very variegated color scheme. The outer part of the wing is also dark, with a rufous tip. There is white color on the face, particularly near the eyes.
The cheeks do not stand out from the body and have the same dark brown color with a brown tint. The rump of the tail has a whitish tint, with heterogeneous spots. The tail has several brown feathers with black stripes. The undertail is red or yellow.
The lower coverts are beige, with dark spots and stripes. The irises of the eyes are brown, the legs, like those of males, are yellow or red. The length of the body is on average slightly larger than that of the male, and is 45-50 cm. They weigh about 450 grams.
Habitat
The rare species can most often be found in the following areas:
- In the steppes of southeastern Europe, southern Belarus and the western part of the Black Sea coast.
- On the territory of Central Asia, near Altai and the southwestern regions of Transbaikalia.
- In the north they live almost everywhere near Moscow and neighboring regions.
- In summer you can see birds in Siberia, not far from St. Petersburg and not far from Novosibirsk and Irkutsk.
- They also live in the south of Russia, in Crimea, in Transcaucasia and in some countries of the Middle East.
- Sometimes several representatives can be seen in the following countries: Kazakhstan, Denmark, Finland, Latvia, Estonia.
Birds migrate most often to the central and southern regions of India, Burma, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and northern Africa. There are also certain families that do not migrate.
Lifestyle
The species does not settle in places where there is no sufficient source of water, or where there is a lack of rodents. If they settle in forests, then nests are made in clearings, or in places of dense vegetation, near bushes and in tall grass. Most activity occurs during the day.
The main habitats of the steppe harrier are steppes and semi-deserts, and therefore it leads a corresponding lifestyle. Sometimes they also settle in forest plantations and near rural areas.
Harriers' nests are located on the ground, on low hills, as well as in various reeds and under bushes. Eggs are laid between April and early May. This species is endangered, and there is no exact data on the number of its representatives; they can fluctuate with each migration.
Adult representatives fly slowly and smoothly, with slight swaying in the air. The voice of these birds is not very expressive and resembles a rattling sound and produces shaky squeaking sounds that turn into frequent screams.
Nutrition
It is worth understanding that this is a bird of prey and they hunt not only moving targets, but also any living creature that sits on the ground. As with most members of the family, the main dish for this predator is small rodents, lizards and smaller birds with chicks.
Basic diet:
- mice, hamsters;
- gophers and shrews;
- parsleys, quails;
- larks, waders;
- small black grouse, chicks.
Residents of the Altai Territory, in addition to these dishes, do not disdain large insects, including locusts, grasshoppers, dragonflies and beetles.
The hunting grounds of this bird have a limited radius and are usually located close to the nest, since the flight for prey is carried out at a low altitude and only along a certain route. The hunting process is similar to the hunting of many of their relatives; having noticed the prey, the harrier sharply descends and opens its wide tail right before landing.
Reproduction and lifespan
The breeding season begins in the spring. During this period, males try to show themselves in every possible way in front of the female; they can suddenly fly up, and then suddenly fall and spin. Such “flirtings” are not complete without loud screams and exclamations while approaching the nest.
The nests have a relatively small coverage area and shallow litter, and have a very simple structure. Usually it represents a standard hole, limited by dry branches and grass. One clutch of eggs does not exceed six pieces.
The eggs have a white shell, sometimes with small mottled specks. Females incubate them on their own for a month. During this period, the male supports the family, bringing food to the nest for everyone, and after a while the female herself begins to fly to hunt and feeds the children on her own.The chicks usually hatch between June and July. They begin to fly within 2-3 weeks after hatching.
Under natural conditions, the steppe harrier lives no longer than 20 years.
Species status
The main threat to the harrier is the steppe eagle. But even a flock of such enemies will not lead to a significant reduction in the number of the species. From this point of view, hunting poses a much greater threat. This species appears in the Red Book of many countries where it lives. Also a threat in some territories is posed by plowing of land and grazing of cattle, mowing of fields and meadows, deforestation, and drainage of water bodies. The approximate number of living representatives today is no more than 40 thousand. But this figure is far from accurate; in Russia there is no data at all on the number of these birds.
The steppe harrier is a bird of prey of the hawk family. Nesting areas are the southern regions of Eastern Europe and the central part of Asia to the Mongolian steppes.
Before the onset of the cold season, birds migrate to Southeast Asia, India, Central and East Africa. Occasionally, representatives of the species were spotted in Western Europe and Britain. There is a separate population of these birds that does not migrate and leads a sedentary lifestyle. These are birds living in the Caucasus and the steppes of Crimea.
Appearance of the steppe harrier
Females of this species are slightly larger than males. If the body length of the male is from 43-48 cm, then the females grow to 48-52 cm.
The average wing length is 34 cm, the wingspan ranges from 95 to 120 cm. The weight of the female is usually 445 g. Males weigh about 330 g.
The wings of birds are pointed and narrow. The plumage of males is white below the body, light gray above. The ends of the wings are black. Females have a white rump and are covered with brown feathers. Under the birds' eyes there are spots of white feathers. The claws and beak are black, the wax and paws are yellow. Young steppe harriers have a brown iris, while in adult birds it is pale yellow. The color of the plumage of the young is similar to that of the females. In the 4th year of life, after 3 molts, young birds acquire a color similar to that of adults.
Behavior and nutrition of the steppe harrier
The steppe inhabits steppes and forest-steppes, preferring to live in open spaces, wastelands and marshy areas. These are places near rivers, lakes and steppe zones where tall grass and shrubs grow. In the forest, a bird can choose a clearing to live.
This type of bird of prey is practically never found in areas far from water sources. The choice of nesting site depends on how rich the area is in food, that is, it depends on the number of rodents.
The bird is active during the daytime. When hunting, it flies at a fairly low distance from the ground and looks out for prey. Predators eat mainly rodents, but also birds and. Having seen potential prey, the steppe harrier sharply descends, spreading its tail at the very surface of the earth - thus braking. He stretches his clawed paws forward and grabs the gaping animal.
Each representative of the species has its own hunting area, which is quite small in size. The bird flies around its hunting grounds along a constant route. In those years when the rodent population declines, the steppe harrier is forced to look for other nesting sites.
Reproduction and lifespan
The steppe harrier places its nest directly on the ground and prefers places close to water sources. The bird's nest looks like a hole surrounded on all sides by grass. Usually, it is located in thickets of bushes on a small hill. The female lays 3-6 white eggs. Experts have not observed more than 7 eggs in a clutch of a steppe harrier. Having laid the first egg, the female immediately begins incubation. The incubation period lasts 3-3.5 weeks.
The steppe harrier is a keen and agile bird. At the very beginning of July, chicks hatch from the eggs. The nesting time is 1.5 months and throughout this period a pair of steppe harriers exhibits increased aggressiveness. Birds can fight even with a large predator.
Sexual maturity in birds of this species occurs at the age of three. In the wild, life expectancy is 20-22 years.
Number
This bird species is listed in the Red Book. The population of steppe harriers is only 40 thousand individuals. But this figure is approximate. The fact is that in Russia there is no accurate data on the number of representatives of this species.
The life of these feathered predators is directly related to the number of rodents. We can say that the bird follows its favorite food. If the population of voles is large, then there will be many harriers in the area. In such a situation, the wrong impression is created that there are many steppe harriers. However, this is not the case due to their concentration in one place.
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