16:27 Thursday 12 May 2016
Montagu’s harriers, the UK’s
rarest breeding birds of prey, have started arriving back in the country for
the summer after spending the winter months in tropical Senegal in West Africa,
and the RSPB is asking the public to report any sightings of the birds to help
identify new areas where they might be nesting.
Just seven pairs of Montagu’s
harriers, known affectionately by bird watchers as ‘Monty’s’, nested in the
whole of the UK last year. This is one fewer than in 2014, but scientists
studying the birds hope that with the help of farmers, birdwatchers and people
out enjoying the countryside, they can find more new Montagu’s harrier nesting
sites this year.
Right now is the best time to see
Montagu’s harriers as they engage in their spectacular airborne courtship
display before they establish their nests and become more secretive. During the
courtship, males will climb high into the air and then fold his wings and
tumble groundwards in a show of aerobatic prowess designed to impress. Once a
pair has chosen a nest site the male will pass food to the female in mid-air,
with one or both birds flying upside down momentarily to make the exchange.
Mark Thomas, who leads on
Montagu’s harrier conservation work for the RSPB, said: “A Montagu’s harrier’s
display is spectacular and really special to witness. It’s so important for
these birds that we can find the places where they are nesting and protect them
from accidental damage, disturbance and persecution.
“Monty’s are increasingly nesting
in cropped arable fields rather than reedbeds, so we’re especially keen to make
farmers aware of them and hear from any who think they might have birds nesting
in their fields, but anyone who sees one can help us make sure they have the
best chance of successfully breeding and rearing their chicks by getting in
touch to tell us about their sighting.”
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