Marsh Harrier Welfare and Recovery 2025

A 2025 update on marsh harrier welfare and conservation in the UK, one of the country's greatest conservation success stories of the past 50 years.

Key Facts

Marsh harriers (Circus aeruginosus) were reduced to a single breeding female in the UK in 1971 — recovery to over 400 breeding pairs by 2025 is one of the most remarkable raptor conservation stories in British history.
Recovery has been driven by: legal protection (Schedule 1, Wildlife and Countryside Act), wetland habitat restoration, and cessation of organochlorine pesticide use.
Marsh harriers require extensive reed beds for nesting and hunting — the expansion of wetland restoration (particularly through Natural England's wetland incentive schemes) has created new nesting territories.
Illegal persecution remains an ongoing threat — marsh harriers are shot and their nests are destroyed on some estates; reporting nest disturbance is a critical conservation action.
Climate change is affecting marsh harrier distribution — the species is now breeding in Scotland for the first time in centuries as suitable wetland habitats become available northward.
Satellite tagging of marsh harriers has revealed migration routes to sub-Saharan Africa — wintering ground habitat loss in the Sahel represents a threat that conservation in the UK cannot address alone.
The RSPB's great wetland restoration projects (Lakenheath Fen, Wallasea Island, Brockholes) directly support marsh harrier breeding and hunting habitat.

Welfare Considerations

The marsh harrier recovery is proof that legal protection, habitat restoration, and removal of toxic pesticides can reverse extinction trajectories. Supporting wetland restoration organizations directly supports marsh harrier welfare and breeding success. Report any suspected persecution — shooting or nest destruction — to the RSPCA and police wildlife crime unit immediately.

What You Can Do

Support the RSPB's wetland restoration projects that create marsh harrier nesting and hunting habitat
Report any suspected marsh harrier persecution to RSPCA and police wildlife crime units
Donate to the RSPB, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, and Wildlife Trusts who are expanding UK wetland habitat
Visit and publicize responsible marsh harrier watching sites — wildlife tourism generates conservation funding