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Rarities & Conservation: Rare Montagu’s Harriers Successfully Nest in Britain for First Time Since 2019

29 July 2025 (Updated 15 Aug 2025)
By James Hamilton
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Montagu's Harrier female and juveniles, July 25th 2025. Copyright RSPB

​In a major success for bird conservation, a pair of Montagu’s Harriers has successfully raised four chicks in the UK. This marks the first confirmed breeding of the species in Britain since 2019.

Montagu’s Harriers are Britain’s rarest breeding birds. Their population reached a high point in 2011, when nine nests produced fledglings, but numbers have since declined sharply. In 2021, the species was officially added to the UK Red List, indicating the highest level of conservation concern.

These elegant birds of prey spend the winter in sub-Saharan Africa before migrating north to Europe each spring. In the UK, they typically nest in farmland, especially in winter-sown cereal crops. However, intensifying agriculture, earlier harvests, and wetter summers have reduced suitable nesting sites. The species has also seen declines in former strongholds such as France and Spain.
To protect nesting sites from ground predators, conservationists, farmers, and volunteers across Europe often install small protective fences. This collaborative approach has become essential to the survival of the species.

In May, a pair of Montagu’s Harriers was spotted at a confidential location in the UK. Hopes began to rise that they might attempt to breed. A licensed drone was used in June to locate their nest, and monitoring efforts quickly followed, led by the RSPB and a dedicated volunteer birdwatcher.

Photographs revealed that both adult birds were ringed. The male had been tagged as a chick in a UK nest in 2015. The female had been ringed in France in 2023. Their pairing marked a rare and encouraging cross-border connection.

When signs indicated that chicks had hatched, the RSPB, under licence, installed a protective fence around the nest to guard against predators. In mid-July, the four chicks were ringed, and just last week, all of them successfully took their first flights.

Mark Thomas, Montagu’s Harrier species lead at the RSPB, welcomed the news. “We are overjoyed that a pair has returned, found each other, and successfully raised four young,” he said. “This achievement was made possible by the close protection efforts of the RSPB and a supportive farmer. It is especially exciting to know that the male hatched in the UK and the female in France. This Anglo-French alliance could help restore the species in Britain.”

The farmer, whose identity has been kept private to protect the site, added, “It’s fantastic to have these amazing birds on the farm. It feels like a just reward for the decades of conservation work we’ve been doing.”
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Conservationists now hope the young birds and their parents will complete a safe migration to Africa. If all goes well, the adults may return to the UK to breed again in 2026.
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