Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus (Linnaeus, 1766)

Rare, passage migrant & winter visitor. May occur between October & April.

  1. One ringtail, not aged, 22nd Feb. 1966 (A.C. Leach, H.W. Neal).
  2. One female, not aged, 7th Jan. 1977 (D. Warden).
  3. One ringtail, not aged, 7th Jan. 1979.
  4. One male, immature or 1st-winter, 6th April 1991 (R.M. Curber). Had been wing-tagged in northern Scotland,
  5. One male, immature, 4th Dec. 1991 (R.M. Andrews). Assumed to be the same bird as last winter,
  6. One male, immature, 15th Jan. 1995 (A.D. Scott).
  7. One male, adult, 23rd Jan. 1995 (R.M. Curber).
  8. One male, adult, 7th April 2002 (N.R. Milbourne, I. Stapp et al.).
  9. One male, adult, 8th Dec. 2002 (N.R. Milbourne), presumed same also on 14th Dec. (N.R. Milbourne), 26th Dec. (N.R. Milbourne), & 17th Jan. 2003 (N.R. Milbourne, S. Isgar). See note 1.
  10. One, ringtail, 17th Oct. 2004 (C.J. Vines).* Top End hide diary.

Note 1: The sighting reported on 17th Jan. 2003 has been published as an immature male in ABR, but I have it in my notes as an adult male, presumed the same as that seen earlier in the winter.

Bibliography (sources of information):

  1. Chadwick, P.J. (ed.). Avon Bird Report, 1977. Bristol Naturalists’ Society.
  2. Davis, A.H. (ed.). Avon Bird Report, 1991. Avon Ornithological Group.
  3. Davis, A.H. (ed.). Avon Bird Report, 1995. Avon Ornithological Group.
  4. Davis, A.H. (ed.). Avon Bird Report, 2002. Avon Ornithological Group.
  5. Davis, H.H. (ed.). Bristol Bird Report, 1966. Bristol Naturalists’ Society.
  6. McGeoch, J.A. (ed.). Somerset Birds, 1966. Somerset Ornithological Society.
  7. Payne, D. (ed.). Bird News, Jan. 1979. Bristol Ornithological Club.
  8. Rose, H.E. Dr (ed.). Avon Bird Report, 2003. Avon Ornithological Group.
  9. Rose, H.E. Dr (ed.). Avon Bird Report, 2004. Avon Ornithological Group.

Last update: 7th December 2024