Hen Harrier

Circus cyaneus (Linnaeus, 1766)

		male female
2014-10-23 Western Kazakhstan. Syrym region. Olenty river. 2009-02-28 Zholaman lowland, Almaty oblast	© Aibar Magazov © Raufael Bairashev

Distribution

Nests in mountains of south-west Altai, in Malaya Ulba valley, and also in Dzhungarskiy Alatau near Topolevka village. Probably breeds in forest-steppe zone of Northern Kazakhstan. On migration occurs widespread. Wintering in southern and south-eastern Kazakhstan.

Biology

Rare breeding migrant, but not uncommon on migration. Inhabits the tall grass meadows amongst forests. Appears in end of February to March, latest migrating birds observed in mid-May. Nest is built on ground from the dry thin twigs and grass. Laying of 2-5, more often 4-5 eggs is in end May - June. Females begin incubating from the first egg laying for about 30 days; males feed them. Juveniles fledge at 35-40 days old in mid-July - August. Autumn migration begins in August. On Markakol lake they disappear to the end of September, in southern areas they appear in September; peak of migration is in October.

Subspecies

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999.В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург. Изд-во Уральского университета, 2000.