Hen Harrier

Circus cyaneus

The hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) is a bird of prey. The genus name Circus is derived from Ancient Greek kirkos 'circle', referring to a bird of prey named for its circling flight. The specific cyaneus is Latin, meaning "dark-blue".While many taxonomic authorities split the northern harrier and the hen harrier into distinct species, others consider them conspecific.It breeds in Eurasia. The term "hen harrier" refers to its former habit of preying on free-ranging fowl.It migrates to more southerly areas in winter. Eurasian birds move to southern Europe and southern temperate Asia. In the mildest regions, such as France and Great Britain, hen harriers may be present all year, but the higher ground is largely deserted in winter.