The UK's rarest bird of prey, the Montagu's harrier, has successfully nested for the second year running in the same secret location, according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). A male harrier, known as "AU", bred with two different females, rearing six chicks across two nests on English farmland.
Montagu's Harriers were placed on a "red list" of birds most at risk in the UK in 2021. Numbers had declined from nine successful nests in 2011, with no evidence of successful breeding between 2020 and 2024.
The RSPB reported that careful monitoring, in partnership with farmers, allowed nests to be protected by fences from ground predators. Last year, four chicks hatched in the same secret location.
For the first time, the RSPB has fitted two of this year's chicks with satellite tags. This initiative aims to gather information on their migration routes, how long they spend in Africa, and whether they return to the UK in their first or second year, according to Mark Thomas, head of investigations at the RSPB.
Conservationists have urged birders to look out for the young birds and report any sightings to the RSPB's Montagu's hotline.