Circus cyaneus
Identity and identification
The Hen Harrier is an Accipitridae raptor with long wings and tail. Adult males have a grey head and breast, pale belly and extensive black wingtips. Females and juveniles are brown with a white rump, but that feature alone does not identify every harrier.
Habitat and food
It quarters fields, open ground and wetlands in low flight for small mammals and birds. Wing shape, plumage and flight style together help separate it from Pallid and Montagu’s Harriers.
Breeding and development
BTO reports a typical clutch of 4–5 eggs and female incubation of about 34 days. Young depend on parental care and normally fledge after 36.5–41.5 days. These general stages do not demonstrate breeding in a passage or wintering country.
Arab occurrence and seasonality
Lebanon’s 2026 guide describes an uncommon passage migrant and winter visitor. Oman’s official list, version 8.0 dated 1 January 2026, gives the same broad status. November belongs to the passage and wintering context; a sighting does not establish local breeding.
Observation and conservation
The Hen Harrier is globally classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Deliberate persecution and loss of feeding and breeding habitat threaten it. Watch raptors from a distance without pursuing them or approaching communal roosts. Reducing poisoning and electrocution and retaining open habitat supports their conservation.
References
AviList Core Team — Global Avian Checklist v2026, 20 October 2026؛ UNDP / ABCL / Ministry of Environment — Birds of Lebanon: A Photographic Guide to 409 Species, 18 June 2026؛ Oman Bird Records Committee — Oman Bird List v8.0, 1 January 2026؛ British Trust for Ornithology — BirdFacts: Hen Harrier؛ RSPB — Hen Harrier
Species illustration: Лариса Артемьева — CC0 1.0.