Montagu's Harrier Reared 6 Chicks in England as RSPB Tagged 2 for First-Time Tracking
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Aug 24
Montagu's Harrier Reared 6 Chicks in England as RSPB Tagged 2 for First-Time Tracking
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Aug 24
Summary
Six juvenile Montagu's harriers fledged from two nests on English farmland, marking the species' second straight successful breeding season at the same secret site.
A single male, known as AU, bred with two females, while RSPB staff and farmers fenced off the ground nests to keep out predators such as foxes.
Two chicks were fitted with satellite tags for the first time, giving conservationists data on migration routes, time in Africa and whether young birds return to the UK.
The tracking could also help protect nests hidden in crops from harvest machinery, a growing risk as climate change brings earlier harvests.
Montagu's harriers were added to the UK's red list in 2021, and after nine successful nests in 2011 there was no evidence of successful breeding from 2020 to 2024.