WESTERN MARSH HARRIER (CIRCUS AERUGINOSUS) MIGRATION THROUGH THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA: A REVIEW

The Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) is a summer visitor in northern, eastern, and central Europe. Some birds, mostly juveniles and adult females, winter in the Mediterranean region, while others cross the Sahara to winter in tropical Africa. Unlike other Accipitridae, which use primarily soaring flight over land during migration, Western Marsh Harriers tend to move on a broad front, with long, powered flights over water. In the last two decades, several researchers have investigated the migration of this species through the Mediterranean basin using direct observations, radar, band recovery data, and satellite telemetry. We here present a short review of these investigations and results.