Mystery disappearance of UK's rarest raptor still unsolved
A slate-grey male Montagu's harrier shows off the black wing markings . UK’s rarest raptor If you’ve never heard of a Montagu’s harrier , it’s hardly surprising: with only four breeding pairs in the UK, they are officially the rarest raptor and the rarest breeding bird with a precarious status. Found in the east and south of the country, they are summer visitors, migrating south to Africa for winter. Harriers are renowned for their exquisite aerial acrobatics, passing food in flight and performing ingenious displays during courtship. The Montagu’s agility and elegance when hunting makes them a majestic harrier and particularly spectacular to watch. To learn more about them, experts have been tagging individuals to track their migration, habits and breeding grounds. Each pair needs special protection and their nests are kept secret, so egg poachers cannot detect them, and they can be left undisturbed. The tagging process has also meant secretive meeti...