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Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus
IUCN Red List history
| Year | Category |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Least Concern |
| 2009 | Least Concern |
| 2008 | Least Concern |
| 2004 | Least Concern |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
Species attributes
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | Does not normally occur in forest |
| Land mass type | Average mass | - |
Distribution
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) | 13,500,000 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2) | 17,800,000 | medium |
| Number of locations | - | |
| Fragmentation | - |
Population & trend
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of mature individuals | poor | Estimated | 2009 | |
| Population trend | Increasing | - | ||
| Number of subpopulations | - | - | - | |
| Largest subpopulation | - | - | - | |
| Generation length (yrs) | 8 | - | - | - |
| Population justification: In Europe, the breeding population is estimated to number 93,000-140,000 breeding pairs, equating to 279,000-420,000 individuals (BirdLife International 2004). Europe forms 25-49% of the global range, so a very preliminary estimate of the global population size is 0.5-2 million individuals, although further validation of this estimate is needed. | ||||
| Trend justification: In Europe, trends since 1980 show that populations have undergone a moderate increase (p<0.01), based on provisional data for 21 countries from the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme (EBCC/RSPB/BirdLife/Statistics Netherlands; P. Vorisek in litt. 2008). | ||||
Country/Territory distribution
| Country/Territory | Occurrence status | Extinct | Breeding | Non-breeding | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Albania | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Algeria | Vagrant | No | |||
| Andorra | Vagrant | No | |||
| Angola | Native | No | |||
| Armenia | Native | No | |||
| Austria | Native | No | |||
| Azerbaijan | Native | No | |||
| Bahrain | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Bangladesh | Native | No | |||
| Belarus | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Belgium | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Benin | Native | No | |||
| Bhutan | Vagrant | No | |||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Bulgaria | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Burkina Faso | Native | No | |||
| Burundi | Native | No | |||
| Cameroon | Native | No | |||
| Cape Verde | Native | No | |||
| Côte d'Ivoire | Native | No | |||
| Central African Republic | Native | No | |||
| Chad | Native | No | |||
| China (mainland) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Congo | Vagrant | No | |||
| Congo, The Democratic Republic of the | Native | No | |||
| Croatia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Cyprus | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Czech Republic | Native | No | |||
| Denmark | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Djibouti | Native | No | |||
| Egypt | Native | No | |||
| Eritrea | Native | No | |||
| Estonia | Native | No | |||
| Ethiopia | Native | No | |||
| Faroe Islands (to Denmark) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Finland | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| France | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Gabon | Native | No | |||
| Gambia | Native | No | |||
| Georgia | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Germany | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Ghana | Native | No | |||
| Gibraltar (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Greece | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Guadeloupe (to France) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Guinea | Native | No | |||
| Guinea-Bissau | Native | No | |||
| Hungary | Native | No | |||
| Iceland | Vagrant | No | |||
| India | Native | No | |||
| Indonesia | Vagrant | No | |||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Iraq | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Ireland | Native | Yes | Yes | ||
| Israel | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Italy | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Jordan | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Kazakhstan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Kenya | Native | No | |||
| Kuwait | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Kyrgyzstan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Latvia | Native | No | |||
| Lebanon | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Liberia | Native | No | |||
| Libya | Native | No | |||
| Liechtenstein | Native | No | |||
| Lithuania | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Luxembourg | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of | Native | No | |||
| Malawi | Native | No | |||
| Malaysia | Vagrant | No | |||
| Maldives | Native | No | |||
| Mali | Native | No | |||
| Malta | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Mauritania | Native | No | |||
| Mauritius | Vagrant | No | |||
| Moldova | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Mongolia | Native | No | |||
| Montenegro | Native | No | |||
| Morocco | Native | No | |||
| Mozambique | Native | No | |||
| Myanmar | Native | No | |||
| Nepal | Native | No | |||
| Netherlands | Native | No | |||
| Niger | Native | No | |||
| Nigeria | Native | No | |||
| Norway | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Oman | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Pakistan | Native | No | |||
| Palestinian Authority Territories | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Poland | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Portugal | Native | No | |||
| Qatar | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Romania | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Russia (Asian) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Russia (Central Asian) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Russia (European) | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Rwanda | Native | No | |||
| Saudi Arabia | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Senegal | Native | No | |||
| Serbia | Native | No | |||
| Seychelles | Vagrant | No | |||
| Sierra Leone | Native | No | |||
| Singapore | Native | No | |||
| Slovakia | Native | No | |||
| Slovenia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Somalia | Native | No | |||
| South Africa | Native | No | |||
| South Sudan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Spain | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Sri Lanka | Native | No | |||
| Sudan | Native | No | |||
| Sweden | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Switzerland | Native | No | |||
| Syria | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Tajikistan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Tanzania | Native | No | |||
| Thailand | Vagrant | No | |||
| Togo | Native | No | |||
| Tunisia | Native | No | |||
| Turkey | Native | No | |||
| Turkmenistan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Uganda | Native | No | |||
| Ukraine | Native | No | Yes | ||
| United Arab Emirates | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| United Kingdom | Native | No | |||
| Uzbekistan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Western Sahara | Native | No | |||
| Yemen | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Zambia | Native | No | |||
| Zimbabwe | Native | No |
Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria
| Country/Territory | IBA Name | IBA link |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | March/Thaya riverine forest |  |
| Austria | Meadows and lakes in the foreland of the Alps in Salzburg and Upper Austria | |
| Austria | Neusiedler See | |
| Austria | Parndorfer Platte and Heideboden | |
| Austria | Southern Seewinkel and Zitzmannsdorfer Wiesen | |
| Austria | Storage lakes on the lower Inn | |
| Austria | Western Weinviertel | |
| Belgium | IJzervallei-De Blankaart | |
| Belgium | Krekengebied | |
| Belgium | Polderkomplex | |
| Belgium | Schorren en Polder van de Beneden-Schelde | |
| Belgium | Zwin | |
| Bulgaria | Derventski Heights | |
| Bulgaria | Durankulak Lake | |
| Bulgaria | Mandra-Poda complex | |
| Bulgaria | Zhrebchevo Reservoir | |
| Bulgaria | Zlatiata | |
| Czech Republic | Doupov hills | |
| Czech Republic | Hermansky stav-Odra-Poolsi wetlands | |
| Czech Republic | Poodri | |
| Czech Republic | Rozdalovické rybníky ponds | |
| Czech Republic | Trebonsko (Trebon region) | |
| Estonia | Kahtla-Kübassaare | |
| Estonia | Mouth of the Emajõgi river and Piirissaar island | |
| Estonia | Mullutu | |
| Estonia | Väinameri | |
| Estonia | Võrtsjärv | |
| France | Anse de Fouras, baie d'Yves et marais de Rochefort | |
| France | Anse du Fiers d'Ars en Ré | |
| France | Baie de Bourgneuf et marais breton | |
| France | Basse Vallée du Doubs : Dole Sud | |
| France | Brenne centrale | |
| France | Brenne Sud | |
| France | Camargue | |
| France | Estuaire de la Gironde : marais du Blayais | |
| France | Estuaire de la Gironde : marais du Nord Médoc | |
| France | Estuaire et embouchure de la Seine | |
| France | Etangs d'Argonne | |
| France | Etangs de la Woëvre: la Chaussée | |
| France | Etangs de Leucate et Lapalme | |
| France | Etangs de Sologne: St Viatre, Marcilly-en-Gault et forêt de Bruadan | |
| France | Etangs de Vendres, Pissevache et Lespignan | |
| France | Etangs et marais du bassin de la Somme | |
| France | Etangs Montpellierains | |
| France | Forêt de la Reine | |
| France | Garonne : marais de Bordeaux | |
| France | Golfe du Morbihan et Etier de Penerf | |
| France | Ile d'Oléron, marais de Brouage-Saint-Agnant | |
| France | La Dombes | |
| France | Lac de Grand-Lieu | |
| France | Lac du Der-Chantecoq et étangs latéraux | |
| France | Lacs de la Forêt d'Orient | |
| France | Marais arrières littoraux picards | |
| France | Marais de Brière | |
| France | Marais de la Baie d'Audierne | |
| France | Marais de la Souche | |
| France | Marais entre Crau et Grand Rhône: Meyranne, Chanoine, Plan de Bourg et Salins du Caban | |
| France | Marais et estuaire de la Seudre | |
| France | Marais poitevin et baie de l'Aiguillon | |
| France | Petite Camargue fluvio-lacustre | |
| France | Petite Camargue laguno-marine | |
| France | Plaine du Forez | |
| France | Vallée de la Conie et Beauce centrale | |
| France | Vallée de la Meuse | |
| France | Vallée de la Saône de Corre à Broye | |
| France | Vallée du Rhin : Marckolsheim à Strasbourg | |
| France | Vallée du Rhin : Strasbourg à Lauterbourg | |
| France | Vallées de la Scarpe et de l'Escaut | |
| Hungary | Bodrogzug–Taktaköz | |
| Hungary | Heves Plain | |
| Hungary | Hortobágy and Tisza-to | |
| Hungary | Lake Fertő | |
| Hungary | Lake Kis-Balaton | |
| Lithuania | Agricultural land near the Kalvarija settlement | |
| Lithuania | Metelys, Dusia & Obelija lakes | |
| Lithuania | Zuvintas Biosphere Reserve | |
| Netherlands | Ameland: Duinen-Oerd | |
| Netherlands | Biesbosch | |
| Netherlands | Lauwersmeer | |
| Netherlands | Oostvaardersplassen | |
| Netherlands | Terschelling: Dunes and Noordvaarder | |
| Poland | Barycz river valley | |
| Poland | Biebrza river valley | |
| Poland | Forest at Drawa River | |
| Poland | Lower Bug river valley | |
| Poland | Lower Odra river valley | |
| Poland | Nida Rivar Valley | |
| Poland | Tuchola Forest | |
| Poland | Upper Narew River Valley | |
| Poland | Warmia Site | |
| Poland | Wloszczowa Basin | |
| Portugal | Barrinha de Esmoriz/Lagoa de Paramos | |
| Portugal | Minho and Coura estuaries | |
| Portugal | Mondego Estuary | |
| Portugal | Paul do Taipal | |
| Portugal | Ria de Aveiro | |
| Portugal | Sado estuary | |
| Portugal | Salinas de Alverca e do Forte da Casa | |
| Portugal | Santo André and Sancha lagoons | |
| Portugal | Tejo estuary | |
| Portugal | Vilamoura | |
| Romania | Balta Albă - Amara - Jirlău | |
| Romania | Balta Mică a Brăilei | |
| Romania | Blahniţa | |
| Romania | Buhuşu reservoir - Bacău - Tătărăşti | |
| Romania | Câmpia Crişurilor | |
| Romania | Câmpia Nirului - Valea lerului | |
| Romania | Cefa fish-ponds and Radvani wood | |
| Romania | Danube Delta | |
| Romania | Iazurile de pe Văile Ibănesei - Başeului - Podrigăi | |
| Romania | Satchinez marsh | |
| Slovakia | Senné | |
| Slovenia | River Drava | |
| Slovenia | Črete | |
| Spain | Albufera de Mallorca and Albufereta de Pollença marshes | |
| Spain | Alcázar de San Juan-Quero endorreic lagoons | |
| Spain | Ampurdán marshes | |
| Spain | Belver de los Montes-Gallegos del Pan | |
| Spain | Castrejón reservoir | |
| Spain | Castronuño-Zamora | |
| Spain | Cinca river rice fields and steppe area | |
| Spain | Cinco Villas ponds | |
| Spain | Cogul-Alfés steppes | |
| Spain | Cortados del Jarama | |
| Spain | Las Cañas lake | |
| Spain | Llobregat delta | |
| Spain | Middle section of river Guadalquivir reservoirs | |
| Spain | Pedro Muñoz-Manjavacas endorreic lagoons | |
| Spain | Pitillas and Dos Reinos lagoons | |
| Spain | Redbeeds and copses of Aranjuez | |
| Spain | River Ebro ox-bow lakes | |
| Spain | Rivers Cinca and Alcanadre riverine forest | |
| Spain | Sariñena lake and La Estación pond | |
| Spain | Tablas de Daimiel marshes; 'Vicario' and 'Gasset' reservoirs and Malagón lakes | |
| Spain | Talamanca-Camarma | |
| Spain | Tarancón-Ocaña-Corral de Almaguer | |
| Spain | Tierra de Campos steppes | |
| Sweden | Bay of Kilsviken | |
| Sweden | Dättern | |
| Sweden | Färnebofjärden | |
| Sweden | Kvismaren | |
| Sweden | Lake Hornborgasjön | |
| Sweden | Lake Vendelsjön | |
| Sweden | Western part of lake Mälaren | |
| United Kingdom | Benacre to Easton Bavents | |
| United Kingdom | Broadland | |
| United Kingdom | Deben Estuary | |
| United Kingdom | Humber Estuary | |
| United Kingdom | Minsmere - Walberswick | |
| United Kingdom | North Norfolk Coast | |
| United Kingdom | The Wash | |
| United Kingdom | The Wash | |
Habitats & altitude
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Arable Land | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Salt Marshes (Emergent Grasses) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | major | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | major | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | major | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | major | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Inland Deltas | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Inland Deltas | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent/Irregular Rivers/Streams/Creeks | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent/Irregular Rivers/Streams/Creeks | suitable | breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 3000 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Utilisation
| Purpose | Primary form used | Life stage used | Source | Scale | Level | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pets | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | International | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Sport | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Circus aeruginosus. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 23/05/2013.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 23/05/2013.
This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Current IUCN Red List category | Least Concern |
| Family | Accipitridae (Osprey, kites, hawks and eagles) |
| Species name author | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Population size | mature individuals |
| Population trend | Increasing |
| Distribution size (breeding/resident) | 13,500,000 km2 |
| Country endemic? | No |
| Links to further information | |
| - Summary information on this species | |
|
|