Hen harrier
Circus cyaneus
Vladimir Bryukhov · Kirovo-Chepetskiy
Key facts in one look
- Size
- 41–52 cm, wingspan 0.97–1.22 m
- Diet
- Small mammals and birds
- Status in Georgia
- Summer visitor, passage migrant and winter visitor
- Recorded regions
- Kvemo Kartli; Shida Kartli; Kakheti; Mtskheta-Mtianeti
- Habitat
- Open fields, steppe, marsh edges
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Protection
- Globally LC (2021)
The hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) is a medium-sized bird of prey: it is 41–52 cm long, with a wingspan of 0.97–1.22 m. Males weigh 290–400 g and females 390–750 g. The male is grey above and white below, with black wingtips. The female is brown above and buff below with brown barring. Both have a white rump. It is harmless to people. The 2024 Georgian checklist lists it as a summer visitor, passage migrant and winter visitor. Observations come mainly from November to April, and there are none from June to August. Its range covers four regions: Kvemo Kartli, Shida Kartli, Kakheti and Mtskheta-Mtianeti. Globally its risk of extinction is low (LC, 2021), but its numbers are falling.
Identification
Hen harrier: how to identify it
A long-winged, long-tailed harrier with a white rump. The male is pale grey with a white belly and black wingtips. The female and juvenile are brown, buff and barred below. It flies low over fields and marshes with its wings raised in a V.
It is 41–52 cm long, with a wingspan of 0.97–1.22 m. Males weigh 290–400 g, 350 g on average, and females 390–750 g, 530 g on average. The female is larger than the male. Its wings and tail are fairly long. It has a round, owl-like facial disc that helps it hear well.
The male is grey above and white below, with only the upper breast grey; the rump is white, the wings grey and the wingtips black. The female is brown above with a white rump, and buff below with brown barring. Juveniles resemble the female but are less clearly barred.
Circus aeruginosus is larger and bulkier. Its male is three-coloured with a brown body, and its female is chocolate-brown with a pale, yellowish head and no white rump. Both sexes of the hen harrier have a white rump, and the male is almost entirely grey and white.
Colour
Swatches are illustrative. Do not identify a species by colour alone.
Often confused with
It is a bird of open country. It breeds on moorland and bogs, in marshes, grassland and farmland. In winter it lives in open places: fields, steppe and the edges of marshes. In winter it often roosts with other harriers. In Georgia most records come from Kvemo Kartli, at Kumisi Lake, and from Shida Kartli, at Nadarbazevi Lake. It is also seen in Kakheti, mainly in Dedoplistskaro Municipality, and in Mtskheta-Mtianeti. In Abkhazia and Adjara there are only a few records, and in Tbilisi one.
The hen harrier map shows public iNaturalist observations. Four regions have enough records: Kvemo Kartli, Shida Kartli, Kakheti and Mtskheta-Mtianeti. Abkhazia and Adjara have only a few records, and Tbilisi has one. Observations come mostly from November to April, with none from June to August.
Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
- Field observation
- Several records in one spot
- Photo record
- Region with records
It hunts in typical harrier fashion: it flies low over the ground with its wings raised in a V and takes prey by surprise. It finds prey by sight and by hearing. Up to 95% of its food is small mammals. It also catches birds, especially the male: songbirds of open country such as larks and pipits, small waders, and the young of ducks and gamebirds. Sometimes it eats frogs, reptiles and insects.
It is mainly a migrant: after breeding it moves south, and it largely leaves high ground in winter. In countries with mild winters, such as France and Britain, some birds stay all year. The 2024 Georgian checklist lists it as a summer visitor, passage migrant and winter visitor. In Georgia observations come mainly from November to April, with a few in May and in September and October; there are no records from June to August. It is one of the few birds of prey in which one male has several females, sometimes up to five. The nest is built on the ground or on a mound of vegetation, from sticks, and lined with grass and leaves. It lays 4–8 whitish eggs, rarely 2 to 10. The female does most of the incubation, for 31–32 days, while the male brings her food. The chicks fledge at about 36 days.
Globally the hen harrier's risk of extinction is rated low (LC, 2021). A 2021 estimate puts the number of mature birds at 330,000–512,000, and numbers are probably falling. The main threats are habitat change through intensive farming, the loss of marshes and afforestation, the burning of vegetation, and illegal shooting. The species is listed in Appendix II of CITES and of the Bonn Convention. The 2024 Georgian checklist also rates its risk in Georgia as low (LC).
Vladimir Bryukhov · Paul Cools · Dmitry Ivanov · Konstantin Samodurov · Giorgi Natsvlishvili · Vladimir Belinsky
Related guides
Continue with related pages
Yes. The 2024 Georgian checklist lists it as a summer visitor, passage migrant and winter visitor. Observations come mainly from November to April.
In winter most often in Kvemo Kartli, at Kumisi Lake, and in Shida Kartli, at Nadarbazevi Lake. It is also seen in Kakheti, in Dedoplistskaro Municipality, and in Mtskheta-Mtianeti.
The male is pale grey and white with black wingtips. The female is brown, buff and barred below. Both have a white rump.
The 2024 Georgian checklist does not list it as a breeding bird. In Georgia there are no records from June to August.
It is 41–52 cm long, with a wingspan of 0.97–1.22 m. Males weigh 290–400 g and females 390–750 g.
Mainly small mammals such as voles, as well as small birds. Sometimes frogs, reptiles and insects.
The hen harrier is harmless to people. Globally its risk of extinction is low, but its numbers are falling. The 2024 Georgian checklist also rates it LC in Georgia.
References
What this profile is based on
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
