A pair of Britain’s rarest breeding birds have successfully reared chicks at a secret location protected by conservationists and the farmer whose land they nested on.
The Montagu’s harrier has not successfully bred in the UK since 2019, but this year a pair of the migratory birds of prey have managed to raise four healthy youngsters to fledging.
Montagu’s harriers winter in Africa and return to Europe to nest, often setting up home in agricultural fields – particularly winter sown cereals in the UK – and can return to the same location each year.
Their previous strongholds in Spain and France are struggling because of more intensive agriculture, earlier harvesting dates and wetter summers, while in the UK they have declined from a high of nine successful nests in 2011, with the species placed on the “red list” of birds most at risk in 2021, the RSPB said.
The pair were first seen at the now secret location in May, and the RSPB has worked closely with the farmer on whose land the birds were to protect the nesting attempt.
A nest was located in June by the licensed use of a drone and then closely monitored by a volunteer birdwatcher and the wildlife charity.
The RSPB set up a small protective fence around the nest once the chicks had hatched, to protect them from predators such as foxes.
The chicks were ringed in mid-July and last week made their first flights, the RSPB said.
Both the adult birds were themselves previously ringed, with the male identified as a chick from a nest in the UK in 2015, and the female from a nest in France in 2023.
Mark Thomas, Montagu’s harrier species lead at RSPB, said: “We are overjoyed that a pair have returned, they managed to find each other and through the close protection of a dedicated farmer and the RSPB, have managed to raise four youngsters.
“What’s even more remarkable is that we have been able to work out that the male was colour-ringed by the RSPB as a chick in a UK nest in 2015 and that his partner is wearing a ring indicating she is from France.
“This Anglo-French alliance could just be the springboard needed to save this species in Britain.”
The farmer, who cannot be named to protect the location of the nest, said: “It’s fantastic to have these amazing birds on the farm and a just reward for the extensive conservation work we have been undertaking for decades.”
The RSPB said it hoped the birds will migrate safely to Africa, and the adults will return next year to breed again.
Healthy environment ruled a human right by world’s top court
PM urged to publish new climate plan with 100 days until legal deadline
Typhoon Co-May: China evacuates 283,000 people and cancels flights in Shanghai
Expensive T-shirts are not more durable, first study into the garment finds
Four dead and eight missing after torrential rain causes landslide in northern China
Court says countries can sue each other for climate damage – this is what to expect
