Western Marsh Harrier

The western marsh harrier is the largest and heaviest of the harriers, and the only one that truly loves reedbeds. It often hunts low over reeds and meadows, wings held in a distinctive V. It will even listen for the rustle of mice in the grass. The male is a real aerial acrobat: during the display flight he makes spectacular dives and sometimes almost flips upside down to impress the female. The sexes look nothing alike: the female is mostly dark brown with a striking creamy-yellow head and shoulders, while the male is far more colourful, with grey wings and a pale head. It builds its nest in the reeds, just above the water. Nearly gone in the 1970s, it is now well established again in the Vendée marshes.