Britain's tiny Montagu's harrier population has found an unexpected lifeline in one exceptionally productive male, known as AU. Since first breeding in 2018, he has helped raise at least 16 young, including six chicks in 2026 with two females nesting just a kilometre apart.
A rare comeback for a rare raptor
Montagu's harriers are elegant birds of prey that migrate between sub-Saharan Africa and Europe each year. In the UK, however, their numbers have long been fragile. Once recorded in around 30 breeding pairs in the 1950s, the population later fell to only a handful, with no confirmed breeding pairs in several recent years.
AU, ringed as a chick in southern England in 2016, became a key figure in that recovery effort. In 2025, he paired with a female ringed in France and produced four chicks at a hidden nesting site in England, marking the first successful British nest since 2019. The following season, he returned and bred with two females, each raising three chicks.
Careful conservation, real results
The species often nests on the ground in farmland, which makes timing and habitat protection essential. In this case, a farmer left a patch of barley standing around the nest, giving the chicks time to develop safely. Conservation teams from the RSPB kept the site confidential to reduce disturbance and support the birds' chances.
Researchers say the long-term picture still depends on more than one successful male. Young birds must survive migration, return to Britain, and find suitable breeding conditions again. Even so, three of AU's offspring from 2025 were already seen back in Britain by the next summer, a promising sign for the species.
For now, AU stands at the center of one of Britain's most encouraging wildlife stories, showing how targeted conservation and cooperation with landowners can help rare species regain ground. In the years ahead, this model could shape how vulnerable bird populations are supported across Europe.
