Parques de Portugal

<p> <em>Circus aeruginosus </em>(Linnaeus, 1758)</p>

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  • Marsh harrier

  • Circus aeruginosus (Linnaeus, 1758)

  • Accipitridae

  • The western marsh harrier is a bird of prey with a slender body, short head, and long wings and tail. Of a brown colour, the male exhibits greyish wings with a dark tip, with a lighter head and chest and a grey tail, while the female has a uniform dark brown pattern. It can grow to be 55 cm long and have 140 cm span.

  • Litoral Norte Nature Park

    Ria Formosa Nature Park

    Paul de Arzila Nature Reserve

    Paul do Boquilobo Nature Reserve

    Estuário do Tejo Nature Reserve

    Estuário do Sado Nature Reserve

    Lagoas de Santo André e da Sancha Nature Reserve

    Sapal de C. Marim e V. R. Sto. António Nature Reserve

    Estuário do Douro Local Nature Reserve

  • Lisboa e Vale do Tejo

    Algarve

    Centro

    Norte

    Alentejo

  • Vulnerable (resident population | visiting pop.)

  • The western marsh harrier inhabits moist areas with well developed marsh vegetation, such as estuaries, ponds, bogs, marshlands and weirs, agricultural fields and pastures, above which it flies at a characteristic low altitude. In Portugal it exists on the moist areas of the coastal western area.

  • All year long

  • The western marsh harrier feeds on small to medium sized animals, namely birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates and specially during winter, corpses. The food is obtained through slowly flying above open areas and surprising the prey. 

  • The Portuguese population of this species is estimated to be between 200 reproducing females, during the nesting season and between 250 and 1000 individuals in winter.