UK's rarest bird of prey rears new chicks in secret location - BBC News
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By Justin Rowlatt, Climate Editor, and Tabby Wilson
Published 15 minutes ago
The UK's rarest bird of prey has successfully nested for the second year running in the same secret location, according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
A male Montagu's harrier, known as "AU" by conservationists, bred with two different females, raising six chicks across two nests on English farmland. Montagu's harriers were placed on a "red list" of birds most at risk in the UK in 2021, with their numbers declining from a high of nine successful nests in 2011 to no evidence of breeding between 2020 and 2024.
An RSPB spokesperson stated:
"We are doing our absolute utmost to save this iconic species in the UK and are delighted with six flying juveniles this year."
Four chicks hatched in the same secret location last year.
The charity attributes this success to careful monitoring, in partnership with farmers on whose land the birds nested, ensuring the nests were protected by fences to exclude ground predators like foxes. The male harrier has been diligently feeding his two nests of hungry chicks.
The BBC was granted exclusive access to the nest, capturing footage of the spectacular feeding behavior of these raptors, where the male drops prey in mid-air, and the female rolls upside down to catch it in her talons.
Satellite Tagging for Protection
This year, for the first time, the RSPB has fitted two of the chicks with satellite tags to gain insights into their post-fledging behavior and better protect them.
"It will allow us for the first time ever to work out where they're going, what migration route, how long they'll spend there, and will they come back to the UK in the first year or the second year," said Mark Thomas, head of investigations at the RSPB.
The tags are crucial for preventing nest destruction caused by inadvertently destroying nests hidden among crops, especially with earlier harvests due to climate change.
Urging Birders to Report Sightings
Conservationists are encouraging birders to keep an eye out for the young harriers and report any sightings by emailing the RSPB's Montagu's hotline at [email protected].