Reedbed management including water level control and rotational cutting maintains the open structure harriers need.
Males perform spectacular aerial food passes to females, demonstrating complex social and foraging behaviours.
Climate change is enabling northward range expansion, with birds now breeding in Scotland for the first time.
Welfare Assessment
Marsh harrier recovery is one of conservation's success stories, demonstrating what legal protection and habitat management achieves. Supporting continued reedbed creation and management and advocating for pesticide controls maintains this recovery.
What You Can Do
Support reedbed restoration and management projects at key wetland sites
Advocate for continued restrictions on organochlorine pesticides affecting raptor reproduction
Donate to organisations monitoring marsh harrier populations through nest surveillance
Record marsh harrier sightings for national raptor monitoring schemes