Western marsh harrier

The western marsh harrier, also known as the Eurasian marsh harrier, is a large harrier and bird of prey of temperate and subtropical western Eurasia and adjacent Africa, described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 as Falco aeruginosus. Two subspecies are recognized, one widely migratory across most of the range and the other resident year round in northwestern Africa. It is bulky and larger than other European harriers, measuring 48 to 56 centimeters in length with a wingspan of 115 to 130 centimeters, and shows marked differences between the sexes: males are mostly cryptic reddish brown with lighter yellowish streaks and pale greyish yellowish heads, while females are almost entirely chocolate brown with lighter yellowish crowns, throats and shoulders. Its breeding range spans Europe and northwestern Africa through Central Asia to the northern Middle East, and it is strongly associated with wetland areas, especially those rich in common reed; most populations are migratory, wintering in southern Europe, Africa, Arabia, the Indian subcontinent and Myanmar. The IUCN classifies it as Least Concern, and the species has recovered from historical declines caused by persecution, habitat loss and pesticide use, with Great Britain population rising from near extinction to at least 265 females rearing 453 young by 2006.