Data Zone
Taxonomic source(s)
AERC TAC. 2003. AERC TAC Checklist of bird taxa occurring in Western Palearctic region, 15th Draft. Available at: http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of_the_WP15.xls.
Cramp, S. and Simmons, K.E.L. (eds). 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Least Concern | |
| 2016 | Least Concern | |
| 2015 | Least Concern | |
| 2013 | Least Concern | |
| 2012 | Least Concern | |
| 2009 | Least Concern | |
| 2008 | Least Concern | |
| 2004 | Least Concern | |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | does not normally occur in forest |
| Land-mass type | Average mass | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 24,800,000 km2 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) | 86,900,000 km2 | medium |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | 600000-1100000 mature individuals | poor | suspected | 2021 |
| Population trend | stable | - | suspected | - |
| Generation length | 6.53 years | - | - | - |
Population justification: In Europe, the breeding population is estimated to number 151,000-243,000 breeding females, which equates to 303,000-485,000 mature individuals (BirdLife International in prep.). Europe forms approximately 48% of the global range, so a very preliminary estimate of the global population size is 631,000-1,010,000 mature individuals, although further validation of this estimate is needed. It is placed in the band 600,000 to 1,100,000 mature individuals.
Trend justification: In Europe, the population is estimated to be stable (BirdLife International in prep.). Thiollay (2006) did not find a significant change in numbers of the species overwintering in West Africa during 1969-2004. However, recent surveys of wintering birds in Pakistan and India have shown a decline in this species at certain sites (Bibi et al. 2016; Ganesh & Prashanth 2018), although it is unclear whether this represents a range shift or a true population decline. In the absence of data from the rest of its breeding range, and with no known significant threats, the global population is currently suspected to be stable.
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Albania | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Algeria | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Andorra | extant | native | yes | |||
| Angola | extant | native | yes | |||
| Armenia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Austria | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Azerbaijan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bahrain | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bangladesh | extant | native | yes | |||
| Belarus | extant | native | yes | |||
| Belgium | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Benin | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bhutan | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Bulgaria | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Burkina Faso | extant | native | yes | |||
| Burundi | extant | native | yes | |||
| Cameroon | extant | native | yes | |||
| Cape Verde | extant | native | yes | |||
| Central African Republic | extant | native | yes | |||
| Chad | extant | native | yes | |||
| China (mainland) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Congo | extant | native | yes | |||
| Congo, The Democratic Republic of the | extant | native | yes | |||
| Côte d'Ivoire | extant | native | yes | |||
| Croatia | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Cyprus | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Czechia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Denmark | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Djibouti | extant | native | yes | |||
| Egypt | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Eritrea | extant | native | yes | |||
| Estonia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Ethiopia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Faroe Islands (to Denmark) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Finland | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| France | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Gabon | extant | native | yes | |||
| Gambia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Georgia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Germany | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Ghana | extant | native | yes | |||
| Gibraltar (to UK) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Greece | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Guadeloupe (to France) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Guinea | extant | native | yes | |||
| Guinea-Bissau | extant | native | yes | |||
| Hungary | extant | native | yes | |||
| Iceland | extant | vagrant | ||||
| India | extant | native | yes | |||
| Indonesia | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Iraq | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Ireland | extinct | native | yes | |||
| Israel | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Italy | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Jordan | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Kazakhstan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Kenya | extant | native | yes | |||
| Kuwait | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Kyrgyzstan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Latvia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Lebanon | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Liberia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Libya | extant | native | yes | |||
| Liechtenstein | extant | native | yes | |||
| Lithuania | extant | native | yes | |||
| Luxembourg | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Malawi | extant | native | yes | |||
| Malaysia | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Maldives | extant | native | yes | |||
| Mali | extant | native | yes | |||
| Malta | extant | native | yes | |||
| Mauritania | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Mauritius | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Moldova | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Mongolia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Montenegro | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Morocco | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Mozambique | extant | native | yes | |||
| Myanmar | extant | native | yes | |||
| Nepal | extant | native | yes | |||
| Netherlands | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Niger | extant | native | yes | |||
| Nigeria | extant | native | yes | |||
| North Macedonia | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Norway | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Oman | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Pakistan | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Palestine | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Poland | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Portugal | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Qatar | extant | native | yes | |||
| Romania | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Russia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Russia (Asian) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Russia (Central Asian) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Russia (European) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Rwanda | extant | native | yes | |||
| Saudi Arabia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Senegal | extant | native | yes | |||
| Serbia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Seychelles | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Sierra Leone | extant | native | yes | |||
| Singapore | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Slovakia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Slovenia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Somalia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| South Africa | extant | native | yes | |||
| South Sudan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Spain | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Sri Lanka | extant | native | yes | |||
| Sudan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Sweden | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Switzerland | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Syria | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Tajikistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Tanzania | extant | native | yes | |||
| Thailand | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Togo | extant | native | yes | |||
| Tunisia | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Türkiye | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Turkmenistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Uganda | extant | native | yes | |||
| Ukraine | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| United Arab Emirates | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| United Kingdom | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Uzbekistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Western Sahara | extant | native | yes | |||
| Yemen | extant | native | yes | |||
| Zambia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Zimbabwe | extant | native | yes |
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Artificial/Aquatic - Water Storage Areas (over 8ha) | suitable | resident |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Arable Land | suitable | resident |
| Grassland | Temperate | suitable | resident |
| Marine Intertidal | Salt Marshes (Emergent Grasses) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | major | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | major | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Inland Deltas | suitable | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) | suitable | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent/Irregular Rivers/Streams/Creeks | suitable | resident |
| Altitude | 0 - 3000 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Agro-industry farming | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching - Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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| Biological resource use | Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Persecution/control | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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| Biological resource use | Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Unintentional effects (species is not the target) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Negligible declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest] | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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| Climate change & severe weather | Droughts | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Future | Majority (50-90%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
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| Energy production & mining | Renewable energy | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use - Abstraction of surface water (unknown use) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Negligible declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents - Herbicides and pesticides | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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| Pollution | Domestic & urban waste water - Sewage | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
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| Pollution | Industrial & military effluents - Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Negligible declines | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
|
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| Transportation & service corridors | Utility & service lines | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Negligible declines | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
|
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| Purpose | Scale |
|---|---|
| Medicine - human & veterinary | subsistence |
| Pets/display animals, horticulture | national, international |
| Sport hunting/specimen collecting | subsistence, national |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/western-marsh-harrier-circus-aeruginosus on 24/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 24/11/2024.