Montagu's-Harrier-females_6456 - a photo on Flickriver

            Quite often I have come across competing females during the breeding season, such as I encountered in Cadiz Province, Andalucia, Spain on a fine spring day just after dawn. 
Here, two females are having a aerial battle as a male sits below and watches. No feathers were lost but the acrobatics of these slim structures female Montagu's Harriers was like pure poetry in motion. Beautiful memories last forever. 

The Montagu's Harrier is a migratory bird of prey. Adult males are characterised by their overall pale grey plumage contrasting with black wingtips. Adult females have mostly pale yellow-brown underparts, the belly with longitudinal stripes and spotted wing coverts. The upper-parts are uniform dark brown except for the white upper tail coverts ("rump"), and the sightly paler central wing coverts. The juvenile birds resemble the females, but their belly and underwing coverts are not spotted, but uniformly red-brown in colour.

Montagu's Harriers breed in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Birds from Eurasia spend the winter in sub-Saharan Africa, while those from the eastern part of the range migrate to the Indian subcontinent. In Europe, they travel over a broad front, crossing the Mediterranean at various points, and only a small number are observed at migration choke points. Western birds don't go further south than the gulf of Guinea, but some eastern birds travel as far as South Africa. Montagu's Harriers nest mostly in broad river valleys, plains, and levels bordering lakes and the sea. They can breed in wetlands and also utilise heaths, dunes, moors, and can be found in the steppe. They adapt to shrub-lands in gorse or heather and to areas planted with young conifers. When no other suitable habitat is available these birds will nest in agricultural farmlands. For breeding, Montagu's Harriers require a large open area, with sufficiently tall ground vegetation.

Montagu's Harriers can be both solitary and gregarious at times, both during the breeding season and in winter quarters. They are diurnal and hunt by day. As these birds have a wide distribution, they will take whatever prey is available in the area where they are. Prey is caught while flying along fixed routes at low heights and constant low speeds. Their flight is considered lighter and more dexterous than other harriers enabling them to take more agile prey. When possible Montagu's Harriers often follow the edges of various vegetation to catch their prey by surprise. This is taken after a short stoop, though fast running animals and flying birds can be chased over a short distance. Montagu’s Harriers are generally silent birds, but during the breeding season and near the nests, they become noisy.

Montagu's Harriers are carnivores. They feed mainly on small rodents, small birds, bird eggs, reptiles (including small snakes) and large insects like Dragonflies and Damselflies.

The main threats to Montagu's Harriers include the massive use of agricultural pesticides such as DDT and other environmental poisons, as well as rarefying their prey, in particular large insects. The modification of agricultural practices, with an evolution towards more intensive farming, also puts pressure on Montagu's Harriers; many nests are destroyed by harvesting machines because the harvesting of crop fields is done during the breeding season. In some countries, Montagu's Harriers are still illegally killed during migration.

Taken in: España / Andalucía / Cádiz (show map)

Taken on: May 3, 2014

Tags:

Nature La Janda

Amigos de la laguna de la Janda

nature

migration flyway

migration stopover

breeding area

feeding area

avian refuge

public land

reclamation of this wetland

naturally flooding area

ancient lake

drained wetland

Stephen Daly

wildlife refuge

Finnsticks Blog

wintering common cranes

wintering Avian area

close to Africa

Tarifa

Barbate

Cannon

Vejer de la Frontera

rewilding

Conil de la Frontera

Casa Vieja

Benalup

Facina

Tahivilla

Zahara de Los Atunes

La Zarzuela

Bolonia

Betis

Sierra de Retin

Sierra de La Plata

La Haba

Las Lomas

Las Habas

Canterranas

breeding raptors

Birds

woodland

farmland

Riverside

lakes

parks

gardens

insects

invertebrates

conservation project

floods in winter

rice fields

paddy fields

chemical use

nitrate use

cotton fields

sunflower fields

reclamation

canals

piper crop spraying

Butterflies

Dragonflies

Herps

Mammals

Sea

Land Air « less

Sets appears in: • La Janda, Andalucia, Spain • Birds in Flight more » • Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus) • Birds and habitats in Cadiz Province, Andalucía, Spain • Popular Photos « less

Groups appears in: • All Animals • Canon DSLR User Group more » • Photography • canon photography • Movement & Motion • Flickr Addicts • visit the world - the travel guide • Birds in Flight! • - I LOVE NATURE - • Flickr Nature • Birds , Birds Birds • Nature Photography • Bird Fanatics! (No Limits) • Unlimited Birds • Animal Planet • Nature Heals the Soul • BiRDS are Beautiful • Birds of the world • Birds of Prey • Top Owl / Birds of prey pics..... ever! • Spectacular Raptors • TMI: your ART & NATURE **NO PEOPLE OR MAN-MADE OBJECTS** P1♥C1 • Birds (no rules) • Intelligent Travel - National Geographic Traveler's blog • NATURE ♥ unlimited ♥ (Public Group Forever) • Photos sans Frontières (NO PEOPLE) - P.1 / C.2 • Bird Watchers • Safari Guide's Eye-African birds & animals • Birds Photos - Check out the new discussions! • GEOTRAVEL FOTOLOGUES • Birds of Prey (incl owls and pelicans) - Uncensored • Feathers+Beaks=Birds (P2 / C2) • Official National Geographic Group • Birding In The Wild • Birds birds birds birds! • *Music To My Eyes*~L1 w/7 Levels ~Active Sweeper ! ~ P1 A5 ~ • Avian Photography • Birdshare • Travel and Escapades • National Geographic | World Wide • Distinguished Birds (P1-A1) • National Wildlife Magazine Photo Group • Birds In Flight Photography • Photographing Birds • Wildscreen Arkive • Keep your eyes open - Ayez l'oeil - NO PEOPLE - P1A3 - Sweeper • NATURE'S PRIME (P1/A4) • Eagle Photography • World of Birds • Noah's Ark, all on board ~ awarding group (P1 / C2) • Nature's Gallery (Post 1 / Award 3) • :: | Bird Photography |:: • Amazing Wildlife Photography (Invitation Only) • Bird Portraits • fatphotographer.net • Spectacular Bird Photos • Swift`Wings ~an invitation group~ P1/C2 • European Birds and Wildlife • Birds in flight only!!! • L'arte della Natura - by admin invitation - P1/A2 • -- AMORE PER LA NATURA - P1/C2 • Wildlife of Gibraltar & The Iberian Peninsular • Best of Nature's Gallery (Invite Only) Award 2 • Birding World • Our Wonderful and Fragile World - P1 - A4 • Birds of Prey in Flight especially Eagles and Hawks • Wild Birds of Prey • * Wonderful World of Wildlife * • * Best of nature photography • Worldwide Fauna • NATURE'S KALEIDOSCOPE P1 X A1 • Birds of prey (Accipitriformes, Falconiformes and Strigiformes) • The best picture of the world • ₪ EARTH ♻ ENVIRONMENT ♻ ECOLOGY ₪ pls Comment≡Ꝛ svp • Help us to protect the environment! « less

Stats: 3,661 views / 67 comments

go back