Nest cameras record previously unseen Hen Harrier behaviour
Recent footage has revealed some unusual insights into the behaviour of nesting Hen Harriers. Heads Up for Harriers, a Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) Scotland project, used nest cameras to monitor breeding birds and found that males stand guard over the nests – behaviour not previously documented. Further footage showed a Hen Harrier brood being hunted by two species of owl.
One male stood on guard for two separate 35-minute spells while the female was away from the nest (Heads Up for Harriers).
On two occasions, a male was recorded spending more than half an hour standing over or beside a nest, essentially guarding the chicks, while the female was away. This is thought to be extremely unusual harrier behaviour; normally during the first six weeks of nesting, the only time a female will leave the nest is to briefly catch food being dropped by the male.
The cameras also recorded the shocking footage of a Long-eared Owl killing a brood of five young Hen Harriers in the Langholm area of south Scotland. Prior to the attack, the mother Hen Harrier had spent eight days tending to her newly hatched chicks, until she was scared off the nest by a Red Fox. Owls would not usually flush a sitting harrier, but with the mother gone, two species took advantage. Firstly, a Short-eared Owl investigated the untended chicks, before the Long-eared Owl predated them.
Professor Des Thompson, Chair of the PAW Scotland Heads Up for Harriers group said: “This is exceptional. It’s the first time we’ve observed such behaviour by a male Hen Harrier and the first time we’ve seen a Hen Harrier nest under attack by two other raptors, one after the other. As ground-nesting birds, Hen Harriers already face extra obstacles in order to protect their chicks. That’s why it’s so important that we crack down on persecution against these vulnerable birds, which already face so many challenges to survive.”
Heads Up Harrier project field worker Brian Etheridge added: “We’re seeing new behaviour as part of the project. We’re surprised in this case that the Long-eared Owl didn’t take its prey away, but instead stayed at the nest for almost an hour. We haven’t seen an owl behave in this way before and can’t explain it at this point. We also don’t know why the fox and the Short-eared Owl didn’t eat the chicks when they had the chance.”
The Heads Up for Harriers project aims to help protect Hen Harriers by using nest cameras to monitor nesting bird and help determine factors that affect chick survival. Figures released show 30 young birds have successfully fledged on participating Scottish upland estates, of which 27 took part.
Once the female Hen Harrier was flushed from the nest, a Long-eared Owl took advantage of the unguarded chicks (Heads Up for Harriers).