Hen harrier

    Circus cyaneus

Castilian: Aguilucho pálido

Catalan: Arpella pàl.lida

Gallego: Gatafornela

Euskera: Mirotz zuria

CLASIFICACIÓN:

Orden: Falconiformes

Family: Accipitridae

Migratory status: Permanent resident

CONSERVATION STATUS:

On the National List of Threatened Species, it appears in the “Of Special Interest” category. In the 2004 edition of the Red Book of Spanish Birds (Libro Rojo de las Aves de España) it is listed as “Not Evaluated”.

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THREATS

Destruction of habitat due to agricultural intensification (abuse of pesticides, reduction of fallow land, combine harvesters that destroy the nests), illegal hunting and a decrease in prey.

Length / size: 45-55 cm / 97-118 cm

Identification: Medium-sized bird of prey with long wings and a long tail, a white rump, and marked sexual dimorphism. The male is grey, with his back, head and breast being darker than his belly, which contrasts with the black wing tips. The female is more robust and heavier, and her plumage is earth-coloured with lots of bars. In flight this bird's wings form a V-shape.

Song: During courtship, the male makes a "eeee aeeak aeeak"; the female makes a sound when alarmed that sounds like that of the other members of Accipitridae, a "kee kee kee" sound.

Diet: It feeds on almost anything, but prefers rodents: moles, mice, rats, etc. It is not uncommon to see it eat chicks, lizards, small snakes, and large insects. It also steals food from other birds of prey.

Reproduction: This species' courtship begins around March, with acrobatic aerial exhibitions by both sexes. The female builds the nest on the ground among the bushes and, in rare cases, on top of a bush. The female incubates the eggs and the male is responsible for maintaining and defending the territory.

HABITAT

In winter it prefers open farm areas and mosaic landscapes with small woods, meadows, scrubland, etc. During breeding season it occupies mountain fields, moors, kermes oak groves and rockrose shrubs in the north, and grain farms in the south.

DISTRIBUTION

In Spain: It is distributed throughout the northern third of the peninsula: Galicia, Asturias, the north of Castile and León, Basque Country, Navarre, La Rioja, and the north of Aragon.

In Castile and León: It is distributed throughout the entire community, with the largest populational concentrations found in León, Palencia, Burgos, and northwestern Zamora.

Movements and migrations: European specimens, specifically those from Finland, France and Germany, begin to reach the peninsula in October, and they join in group roosts. The breeding specimens from our country may travel short distances due to weather conditions.

POPULATION

In Spain: There is an estimated population of at least 798 breeding pairs.

In Castile and León: There is an estimated population of 406-478 breeding pairs (1990 data).