Circus cyaneus - Hen Harrier
Feather characters. Barbules are extremely long (2.4-3.6 mm) and barbules contain lightly stippled pigment. Slightly thickened nodes (9-12 per mm) are located on proximal end of barbules. Over a short distance these nodes abruptly decrease in size. Further along the barbule, nodal structures are too small to qualify as nodes. Villi are absent and internodes are straight. Most prongs are located on proximal end of barbules and on both sides of the pennulum. Their length varies, but the longest ones can reach a length between 0.01 mm and half the adjacent internode length. Occasionally some minute prongs may be found on distal end of barbules. Occasionally prongs are asymmetric.
Field characters. Length 44-52 cm; wingspan 100-120 cm. Weight: male 358 g (301-472), female 513 g (375-661) (Dunning, 1993). Differs from Pallid and Montagu's Harrier in more conspicuous white patch on rump, larger size and broader Goshawk-like wings. Male blue-grey with dark grey trailing edge to wing; lacks wingbars of Montagu's and has darker head and breast than Pallid, with larger black wingtips. Female has dark brown upperparts and buff-brown underparts streaked dark brown. White patch on rump lighter and more extensive than in Pallid and Montagu's (but differences not always diagnostic); wings broader and heavier with five fingers (Pallid and Montagu's have four); facial pattern less pronounced with faint collar and without conspicuous dark ear-covert patch. Juvenile very similar to female and thus differs from young Pallid and Montagu's by streaked underparts. Flies in typical harrier fashion with several wing-beats interspersed with glides on wings held in shallow V.
Voice. Usual call is a rapid chatter "ke ke ke ke...."; also produces a plaintive "piih-e".
Distribution. Rather local and scarce breeding bird; northern and north-eastern populations winter over most of Europe. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. In breeding season, occurs on heather moorland, grasslands, sand-dunes, open marshes, open taiga. More widespread outside the breeding season, when it prefers heaths, marshes, arable farmland, and marshy areas.
Food. Catches prey by surprise through quartering over ground and seizing prey with sudden pounce. Diet consists mainly of young and adult songbirds, young nidifugous birds and small rodents.