Pallid Harrier of Britain and Ireland

Photo credit: Koshyk on VisualHunt / CC BY

The Pallid Harrier, Circus macrourus, is a rare winter and spring visitor to Britain and Ireland. However, sightings of Pallid Harriers have increased in recent years not only in Britain and Ireland but also in southern and central Europe. 

The first successful breeding of Pallid Harriers was reported in Spain and the Netherlands between 2017 and 201. Some ornithologists believe Pallid Harriers could also breed in Britain in the future.

The Pallid Harriers who visit Britain and Ireland breed in Eastern Europe. They also breed in Central and Western Asia.

Most of the population of Pallid Harriers spend their winters in the Indian subcontinent and sub-Saharan Africa. 

Some wintering birds travel to North Africa, southern Europe, Turkey and the Middle East.  Very little is known about their migration through the Mediterranean. 

A few wintering Pallid Harriers pass over Britain, western France and Ireland in the spring and winter while journeying to and from their wintering grounds to North Africa and southern Europe. 

The status of the Pallid Harrier in Britain and Ireland has not been assessed due to the rarity of these birds.

Pallid Harriers belong to the Harrier family of birds which also includes the Hen Harrier. They are elegant and attractive raptors who display great manoeuvrability in the skies.

Pallid Harriers breeding in Eastern Europe inhabit extensive, dry open grasslands, farmland and marshes. Their range in Eastern Europe has contracted following a rapid decline as their grassland homes have been changed into farmland. 

They are now considered fairly rare birds in Eastern Europe who are found on the edges of their former range. A map of the breeding distribution of Pallid Harriers can be found on EBCC Atlas [ http://s1.sovon.nl/ebcc/eoa/?species1=2620 ).

Pallid Harriers normally hunt low near to the ground on open countryside. Their prey includes voles, lemmings and other small mammals, birds, large insects and reptiles. Voles and small mammals form the main part of their diet. They eat birds and insects when small mammals are scarce.

Males and females form pairs in their wintering grounds and return to their breeding areas together in the spring. 

Pallid Harriers fly to their wintering grounds between August and November. They return to their breeding areas between March and April.

Pairs nest in open grasslands, heathlands and forests where there are wet pastures, bogs and wet grassland near small rivers and lakes. Some build their nests in forest clearings. 

Males and females begin breeding when they are 2 years of age. The average lifespan of the Pallid Harrier is 14 years.

“Native to central Asia, Pallid Harriers were, until a decade ago, a mega-rarity in Britain, but sightings have become more frequent” [Daily Post - https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/local-news/flintshires-rare-pallid-harrier-joins-13708734 ).

A male juvenile was reported as wintering in Norfolk between 2002 and 2003. There was a “veritable influx of this stunning bird, with records from Fair Isle in the north to Sussex in the south” during the autumn of 2011 [Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/oct/23/birdwatch-pallid-harrier-rare-mendips ).

A Pallid Harrier was reported on the Connah’s Quay nature reserve in Wales during 2017. A male Pallid Harrier was seen displaying and building a nest in the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire in the same year [Pixie Birding - https://pixiebirding.blogspot.com/2017/05/skydancer-pallid-harrier-forest-of-bowland.html ).

Most of the sightings of Pallid Harriers in Britain are of males. There was a rare sighting of a female and the first for Herefordshire in 2018 [Stuart Pics - http://stuartpics.co.uk/pallid-harrier.html ).

A Pallid Harrier was reported in 2011  in the marshes of Ballyvergan in County Cork in the Republic of Ireland. The Pallid Harrier was a first-year male who was seen for only a few days while hunting along reedbeds and open ground in the area [Birdguids - https://www.birdguides.com/articles/britain-ireland/rarity-finders-ghostbusters-pallid-harrier-ballyvergan-co-cork/ ).

“Since 2003, a few pairs have bred in Finland in most years although numbers are influenced by vole population cycles. On migration, high numbers of juveniles usually follow good vole year…Reports of birds wintering in southern and central Europe are increasingly frequent” [ British Birds - https://britishbirds.co.uk/article/the-changing-status-of-the-pallid-harrier-in-western-europe/ ).

“In 2017 the first pair of Pallid Harriers to nest in western Europe was reported from the Netherlands”. Pallid Harriers were again reported breeding in the same area in 2019.

“it might have seemed that this was a remarkable and amazing one-off event but the evidence is that Pallids are spreading west, not so slowly but very surely” [Mark Avery - https://markavery.info/2019/08/05/a-bright-pallid-future/ ). 

The first record of a pair of Pallid Harriers successfully breeding in Spain was reported during 2019. The female was ringed in the Netherlands in 2017. An abundance of Common Voles was possibly the reason the Pallid Harriers decided to nest in the area.

Some ornithologists believe the increased sightings of Pallid Harriers may lead to the raptors eventually breeding in Britain.

Sadly, the Pallid Harrier is classified as a Near Threatened species of bird by IUCN. Pallid Harriers are considered the most endangered of all the European Harriers.

The global and European status of Pallid Harriers is currently Near Threatened. The global population is estimated to be between 9,000 and 15,000 pairs.

Europe holds 40% of the global population. A large decline of 30% was reported in Europe, particularly Russia, between 1970 and 1990. Their numbers continued to fall during 2000 until they were classified as a Near Threatened species of bird in 2015 [Birdlife International). 

The main threats to Pallid Harriers are loss of nesting and wintering habit due to agricultural changes, burning of their grassland homes, grazing by livestock on wet pastures, clearance of shrubs and poisoning from pesticides and rodenticides.

For more information on the birds of the gardens and countryside of Britain and Ireland, please visit,

http://bird4u.mzzhost.com/index.html

Interesting Articles 

European Raptors - http://www.europeanraptors.org/raptors/pallid_harrier.html

Rock Dove of Britain and Ireland

The Rock Dove, Columba livia , is world-famous as the ancestor of the domestic pigeon. There is only a small population of Rock Doves in Britain and Ireland. Wild populations are found in some remote areas of Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. They are also known Rock Pigeons.

Domesticated forms of Rock Doves became known as pigeons. Some domesticated pigeons escaped into the wild and bred with their cousins, Rock Doves. 

Their descendants are known as Feral Pigeons, Columba livia domestica, and are familiar birds in towns and cities across Britain, Ireland and Europe.

Interbreeding between Rock Doves and Feral Pigeons has made assessing the two populations difficult. Birdlife charities have classified both species as the Feral Pigeon population. The Feral Pigeon population has been declining in some areas of Britain in recent years.

Rock Doves are smaller than their cousins, the Woodpigeons. Adults are blue-grey with dark bars on the wings. There is an iridescent sheen on the sides of the neck. Juveniles resemble adults but lack markings on their necks.

Some Feral Pigeons resemble Rock Doves although their colours vary considerably from greys to browns.

Adult Rock Doves and Feral Pigeons begin breeding when they are 1 year old. 

The average lifespan of wild Rock Doves is between 3 and 5 years although some live for 8 years.

Rock Doves are sociable birds who live and breed on the sides of remote mountain faces, inland cliffs and sea cliffs, often where there are caves. They are shy birds who are wary of people.

Feral Pigeons are tame birds who congregate around buildings in towns and cities, possibly because man-made structures resemble mountains and cliffs.

Some live and breed in rural districts such as farmland, the countryside and coastal areas. They generally avoid higher ground.

The main diet of Rock Doves is a wide variety of seeds and cereals.

Typical cereals eaten include wheat, barley and oats. The seeds of wild plants such as wild radish, shepherd's purse, dock and buttercups are commonly consumed. The fruits of wild herbs are another source of nourishment.

Feral Pigeons scavenge for a wide variety of human food such as bread as well as grain and plant material in towns and cities.

Feral Pigeons are now found in most lowland areas of Britain and Ireland. 

“It is now clear that Feral Pigeons are almost ubiquitous in the UK, nesting in rural as well as urban habitats, and avoiding only the highest ground “No distinction can realistically be drawn between feral birds of domestic origin and true wild-type Rock Doves, although birds of wild-type plumage still predominate on some more-remote Scottish islands” [ BTO – species – please see below).

Wild Rock Doves are resident birds who rarely move far from the areas where they were hatched. Pairs remain on their territories throughout the year. Young birds may disperse further to new areas.

Pure Rock Doves breed in isolated areas in “the far north-west of Scotland, including the islands, and those in the south and west of Ireland may still be pure Rock Doves” [RSPB Handbook of Scottish Birds).

Scottish Rock Doves found on the Inner and Outer Hebrides and parts of the Orkney and Shetland Islands.

Irish Rock Doves live and breed in Counties Mayo, Galway, Kerry and Cork. 

Ornithologists are worried about the appearance of 30 domesticated pigeons on the island of Inishbofin and the effects they may have on the wild flock of Rock Doves in the area [Irish Times - https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/another-life-close-call-for-our-last-few-rock-doves-wild-originals-of-the-west-coast-1.1975805 ).

There is no breeding season for either Rock Doves or Feral Pigeons as the eggs are laid anytime during the year. However, most pairs raise their young in the spring and autumn.

Pairs of Wild Rock Doves nest in colonies in the semi-darkness of rock and cliff edges in caves. Feral Pigeons use the cavities of building as nest sites. 

The nest is an untidy construction of local plants such as grasses, heather and seaweed. 

Two eggs are laid in each clutch and hatch after 17 days. The young learn to fly after between 35 and 37 days Both parents care for the young and may raise 5 or more clutches a year.

“Sheltered nest sites protect the young pigeons, or squabs, from the cold. They are fed by their parents on a nutritious secretion from their crop-lining known as “pigeon milk”. While not all feral pigeons nest in winter, around 25% do” 

[BBC - http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20141203-love-in-a-cold-climate ).

The Rock Dove is classified as of Least Concern by IUCN.

The European population of Rock Doves is estimated to be between 11,000 and 22,000 pairs. The global and European populations are decreasing.

The Rock Dove is a green-listed bird in Britain and Ireland. 

The RSPB estimated the population of pure Rock Doves in Scotland as between 1000 and 5000 pairs.

The British Trust for Ornithology said, “Feral Pigeons may be on an upward trajectory, like the other Columba species in the UK”. However, there has been a decline in the English Feral Pigeon population in recent years.

“Recent studies in Europe have suggested that food shortages may affect productivity and that pigeon densities could be reduced where people provide less food for them”.

“It is possible that changes to food availability in urban areas may have affected this species in the UK; for example, pigeon feeding is now banned in Trafalgar Square in London. However, no studies have been carried out in the UK.” [BTO – Species: https://app.bto.org/birdtrends/species.jsp?year=2018&s=ferpi ).

Feral Pigeons are one of the main prey of the growing population of Peregrine Falcons in towns and cities in recent years.

The greatest threat to Rock Doves in Britain, Ireland and Europe is interbreeding with domesticated and Feral Pigeons.

For more information on the birds of the gardens and countryside of Britain and Ireland, please visit,

http://bird4u.mzzhost.com/index.html

Interesting Articles 

Irish Times – Where Are All the Dead Pigeons: 

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/views/where-are-all-the-dead-pigeons-854878.html 

Rock Pigeon: https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/r/Rock_Pigeon.htm 

White-Fronted Goose of Britain and Ireland

Photo credit: NDomer73 on Visual hunt / CC BY-NC-ND

The White-Fronted Goose, Anser albifrons , is a winter visitor to Britain and Ireland from Russia. 

Large flocks of White-Fronted Geese from Russia and those belonging to a subspecies of the White-Fronted Goose, Anser albifrons flavirostris, from Greenland arrive on the shores of Britain and Ireland in October.

Internationally important numbers of White-Fronted Geese winter in Britain and Ireland. White-Fronted Geese  do not breed in Britain and Ireland.

The population of White-Fronted Geese from Russia is currently stable. However, the race from Greenland has experienced a fall in their numbers in their breeding ground. White-Fronted Geese from Greeland are now some of  Europe’s rarest geese.

Adults are grey-brown with a large white patch on the front of the head, around the bill and thick black bars on the belly. The legs are orange. 

Juveniles lack the white on the forehead and black bars around the breast.

Russian White-Fronted Geese have pink bills while those from Greenland are orange.

The wintering population of Russian White-Fronted Geese that arrive in Britain and Ireland is thought to be in the region of between 10,000 and 14,000 birds.

Wintering Russian White-Fronted Geese in Britain and Ireland belong to the  “North Sea Group”. The “North Sea Group” also includes Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. 

“The north-west European population migrates along the Baltic coasts and uses staging areas in southern Sweden and eastern Germany where numbers peak in November, before moving west into the Netherlands and Britain where numbers peak in January”[JNCC – please see link below).

Russian White-Fronted Geese are found in only a few sites along the coast of Britain.

“White-fronted geese can be seen in south England especially the Severn estuary in Gloucestershire and the Swale estuary in Kent for Russian birds. Ireland and West Scotland for Greenland birds” [RSPB - https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/white-fronted-goose/ ).

 Smaller numbers can be seen in many areas of England and Wales. Russian White-Fronted Geese rarely fly to Scotland or Ireland.
“Spring migration is easterly, with birds staging in southern Russia for up to a month before moving north in May to their breeding grounds” [JNCC - http://archive.jncc.gov.uk/pdf/UKSPA/UKSPA-A6-19.pdf ).

The other four wintering grounds used by Russian White-Fronted Geese are The “Pannonic group”which is made up Yugoslavia, Hungary and Italy; The “Pontic group” comprises of Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and central Turkey. The “Anatolian group” refers to eastern Turkey only.

Wintering White-Fronted Geese in Scotland and Ireland are almost exclusively from Greenland. They fly across the North Atlantic to Iceland and then to Britain and Ireland.

They are dispersed widely over western Scotland and are found in only a few sites in Ireland. 

Large flocks of White-Fronted Geese return to the same site yearly in the Wexford Slobs and south-eastern Ireland.

Ireland plays host to approximately a third, or between 8,000 and 10,000, of the global population of White-Fronted Geese from Greenland. Another 13,000 spend the winter in Scotland.

Wintering birds arrive in October and leave between March and April [RSPB Handbook of Scottish Birds).

White-Fronted Geese are sociable birds who remain in family groups throughout the winter. 

Large flocks can be seen flying in lines sometimes “V” formations at dusk or dawn. The large flock disperses into smaller groups during the day.

The wintering sites include peatlands, extensive areas of grasslands and coastal pastures.

White-Fronted Geese roost along sandbanks and other suitable places along estuaries, large lakes and lochs. Their calls resemble high-pitched laughing. 

White-Fronted Geese search for food on open areas of grasslands near water, wet pastures along the coast and river valleys. They have also adapted to grazing on farmland in recent years. 

The main diet of the White-Fronted Goose is vegetarian. They eat the leaves, stems, roots and seeds of plants such as grains, barley, potatoes, sugar beet, horsetails,  clover, cotton grass and couch grass.

Adults begin breeding when they are 3 years old although pairs are formed when they are 2 years of age. Pairs stay together for life. 

The average lifespan of the White Fronted Goose is 5 years.  

The White-Fronted Goose is classified as of Least Concern by IUCN.

The European population is currently “stable”. The White-Fronted Goose population has “undergone a large and statistically significant increase over the last 40 years in North America (5500% increase over 40 years” [Birdlife International ).

The White-Fronted Goose is a red-listed species of bird in Britain and Ireland.

Sadly, the population of White-Fronted Geese from Greenland is declining 

“The population declined from the 1950s until the 1970s, but legislation in 1982 removed hunting pressure on the wintering grounds and the population doubled to 35,600 between then and 1999…Since 1999, the whole population has shown widespread decline”

The reasons for the fall in their numbers include “June weather”, hunting in Iceland and competition with Greater Canada Geese. 
Breeding Greater Canada Geese have recently arrived in the west of  Greenland
[Researchgate - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286949163_The_rise_and_fall_of_Greenland_White-fronted_goose_A_case_study_in_international_conservation ).

Disturbance from tourists and cruise liners on their breeding grounds in Greenland is also a cause for concern.

The most significant threat to White-Fronted Geese on their wintering sites in Scotland and Ireland are changes in farming practices.

For example, “local farmers that do have grass are, by February, keeping geese away from this crop which is being prepared for cattle housed through winter months”. [Ask Ireland - http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/environment-geography/flora-fauna/flora-and-fauna-of-wexfor/the-greenland-white-front/ ).

General threats to the White-Fronted Goose include hunting, disturbance at staging sites, poisoning from pesticides on farmland, pollution from oil spills and drainage to their wetland habitat.

For more information on the birds of the gardens and countryside of Britain and Ireland, please visit,
http://bird4u.mzzhost.com/index.html

Interesting Articles 

Irish Times - Another Life: Was it for this the wild geese spread the grey wing on every tide?
By Michael Viney:
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/another-life-was-it-for-this-the-wild-geese-spread-the-grey-wing-on-every-tide-1.2812112

Birdguides - Goose ‘fitness tracker’ reveals migration struggles:
https://www.birdguides.com/articles/goose-fitness-tracker-reveals-migration-struggles