Montagu's Harrier breed in the UK for the first time since 2019

The RSPB has announced that a pair of Montagu‘s Harriers successfully bred at a confidential site in England this summer.

The birds arrived in May and were carefully monitored by the RSPB in collaboration with a local farmer. After monitoring, the use of a licensed drone was carried out in order to locate the potential nesting site. In early July, a protective fence was erected around the nest to shield the chicks from potential predators. Images taken during the monitoring confirmed that both adult birds were ringed, with the male notably traced back to a UK nest from 2015 and the female to a French nest in 2023.

The farmer, who cannot be named in order to protect the location, 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.”

It has now been confirmed that all four chicks—each of which was fitted with identification rings—successfully fledged, marking the first confirmed nesting success of this rare species in the UK since 2019.

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.”

Read the most recent RBBP report here.