Flying Western Marsh Harrier, The Netherlands Royalty-Free Stock Photo

The western marsh harrier Circus aeruginosus is a large harrier, a bird of prey, also known as the Eurasian marsh harrier. They are breeding from Europe and northwestern Africa to Central Asia and the northern parts of the Middle East and most populations of the western marsh harrier are migratory or dispersive. It is a territorial bird in the breeding season, strongly associated with wetland areas, especially those rich in common reed and it can also be met with in a variety of other open habitats, such as farmland and grassland, particularly where these border marshland. In winter it seems less social than other harriers, which often gather in large flocks.