looduskalender.ee

Hen harrier

 

 

Montague's harrier

 

 

The raptor working group of EOÜ is trying to direct more attention to the gray harriers that breed in Estonia. The hen harrier has almost disappeared as a breeder in Estonia and its numbers are declining in the whole of Europe. The Montague’s harrier however is a species about whom very little information is found in ordinary surveys. 

 

We will try first of all to bring together existing data about breeding locations places and breeding success. To start with we will check the e-Biodiversity and other available data collections that may indicate breeding (mating flights, pairs, nests, poorly flying juveniles). If earlier observations have not been entered or a location has not been specified it can be done retrospectively.

 

Those who do not use e-Biodiversity can simply send their data to me, noting species, date, location (for instance as coordinates, and the accuracy in metres), the biotope and a short summary of the observation. Both recent as well as older observations are appreciated, as well as photos of nest sites. 

 

Since probably no-one has large amounts of such data, it would be helpful to have the information sent to me or entered in the e-Biodiversity during October. Regarding the Montague’s harrier, the data collecting is also linked to an all-European protection plan – already in the second half of November the issue will be discussed in Germany at a mini-conference of species specialists and it would be helpful to be able to support the Estonian situation with as much data as possible. 

 

Ülo Väli, EOÜ Raptor working group

ulo.vali@gmail.com

 

The abundance and breeding cases of the hen harrier are low and geographically unevenly spread. We can still encounter passing autumn migrants in October, and a few individuals have also wintered in western Estonia.

 

The equally rare Montague’s harriers have already left as September ended.