Marsh Harrier

Name: Marsh Harrier

Scientific name: Circus aeruginosus

Category: Birds

Nature Stars: 60

What are nature stars?

About: Marsh Harriers nest in large reedbeds, where they feed on frogs, small mammals and birds such as moorhen and coot. Once very rare, they have recently spread from their stronghold in East Anglia to other parts of the country where large reedbeds are found.

How to identify: The largest of the harriers. Females are chocolate brown with a golden yellow crown and throat. Males have a brown back, gingery belly, pale head and neck and long grey wings with black tips.

Where: Nests in East Anglia, south east England, the Somerset Levels and parts of north west England.

Natural Superpowers

  • Predator: 80
  • Agility: 60
  • Rarity: 80
  • Cute factor: 30
  • Traveller: 40

Fantastic fact: In 1971 only one single nesting female remained in the whole country. Today, after decades of conservation effort, there are more than 200 pairs in the UK.

Photograph credit: Damian Waters

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