![Male marsh harrier](/sites/default/files/styles/node_hero_default/public/2017-12/Marsh%20Harrier%20%C2%A9%20David%20Tipling%202020VISION.jpg?h=1f3b25cf&itok=HieQ-SwJ)
©David Tipling/2020VISION
![Female marsh harrier](/sites/default/files/styles/node_hero_default/public/2017-12/APA_MarshHarrier_011.jpg?h=baab102c&itok=EGTZkVxE)
©Andrew Parkinson/2020VISION
Marsh harrier
Scientific name: Circus aeruginosus
The courtship of the marsh harrier is certainly a sight to behold - wheeling and tumbling through the sky, male and female partners lock talons in mid-air. Look out for this rare bird over reedbeds in East Anglia, Somerset and the South East.
Species information
Category
Statistics
Length: 48-55cmWingspan: 1.2m
Weight: 540-670g
Average lifespan: 6 years
Conservation status
Classified in the UK as Amber under the Birds of Conservation Concern 5: the Red List for Birds (2021). Protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.