The Hen Harrier

"Artist, ornithologist and author, Donald Watson has made an especial study of the Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus over many years and his field notes and sketch books of this exceptional bird of prey go back to the 1940s. The book opens with the world distribution of the harrier family, then there is a fuller treatment of the Hen Harrier in Europe and North America (the Marsh Hawk), its history and present status. Further chapters detail hunting methods and prey selection, the breeding cycle, migration and distribution. The second part of the book is a closely observed account of the Hen Harrier in Donald Watson's particular study areas in Scotland, in moorland and forest habitats. The author's colour paintings, line drawings and reproductions from his field sketch books are an outstanding accompaniment to a most readable yet scholarly text."--Bloomsbury Publishing Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgements......Page 10 Introduction......Page 14 General and specific characteristics......Page 20 Origins and structural adaptations......Page 35 Comparison between Hen, Montagu's and Pallid Harriers......Page 37 Albinism and melanism in Hen and Montagu's Harriers......Page 42 PART ONE: THE HEN HARRIER......Page 48 The decline......Page 50 The recovery and present status......Page 83 Hunting methods......Page 91 Hunting habitats......Page 99 Food......Page 100 Prey selection......Page 110 Food consumption......Page 112 Nesting habitats......Page 114 Return to breeding grounds; pairing and courtship......Page 117 The food pass and copulation......Page 122 Nest building......Page 124 The nest and nest sites......Page 125 Social nesting......Page 129 Polygyny......Page 131 Neighbours......Page 132 Laying and incubation......Page 133 Hatching......Page 135 Feeding of chicks; hunting and rhythms......Page 136 Development of chicks; mortality and cannibalism......Page 139 Other behaviour of chicks......Page 142 Breeding success and failure to breed......Page 143 Age of breeding birds......Page 145 Reactions to disturbance; predation on nests......Page 146 Moult of the adults......Page 150 The post-fledging period......Page 152 7 MIGRATION AND WINTER DISTRIBUTION......Page 154 8 THE HEN HARRIER AS AN ARTIST'S BIRD......Page 163 PART TWO: A STUDY OF THE HEN HARRIER IN SOUTH-WEST SCOTLAND: Introductory note......Page 170 9 THE BEGINNING: THE NINETEEN FIFTIES......Page 175 10 WATCH IN THE HEATHER: THE FIRST NEST......Page 177 11 MOORLAND NESTING: 1960–68......Page 188 12 FOREST NESTING: 1965–75......Page 201 13 WATCH FROM A HIDE......Page 210 14 NEST SITES......Page 223 15 BREEDING DATA......Page 225 16 FOOD AND HUNTING GROUNDS IN THE BREEDING AREA......Page 228 17 FOOD AND HUNTING GROUNDS IN WINTER......Page 234 18 COMMUNAL ROOSTING IN WINTER......Page 240 19 POSTSCRIPT: A CONTROVERSIAL BIRD......Page 266 Appendix 1 : Local names of the Hen Harrier......Page 272 Appendix 2: Avian species mentioned in the text......Page 274 Appendix 3: Non-avian species mentioned in the text......Page 276 Appendix 4: Protection under the Acts of 1954 and 1967......Page 277 Bibliography......Page 278 Tables 1-30......Page 286 C......Page 306 H......Page 307 M......Page 309 R......Page 310 W......Page 311 Z......Page 312 Harriers of the world Identification and plumage; Part one: The hen harrier; Part two: A study of the hen harrier in south-west Scotland Local names of the hen harrier Avian species mentioned in the text Non-avian species mentioned in the text Protection under the Acts of 1954 and 1967.