Montagu's Harrier

Circus pygargus

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
FamilyAccipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
GenusCircus (Harriers)
SpeciesCircus pygargus (Montagu's Harrier)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Ruaha National Park

3 Verified sightings at Ruaha National Park From 2019 to 2026

3,636 Verified sightings across all 48 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Montagu's Harrier

Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus) is a species of harrier, a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It breeds in large open areas in the Palearctic and is migratory, wintering in Africa, the Indian subcontinent and parts of the Arabian Peninsula. Its common name commemorates the British naturalist George Montagu.

The first formal description of Montagu's harrier was by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758, in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae, under the binomial name Falco pygargus. The genus Circus was introduced by the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède in 1799. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek. Circus is from kirkos, meaning "circle", referring to a bird of prey named for its circling flight (probably the hen harrier), and pygargus is Modern Latin derived from the Greek pugargos, from puge, meaning "rump", and argos, meaning "shining white". The species name was formerly used for the hen harrier before Montagu's was identified as a different species.

Sexual dimorphism is particularly apparent in the plumage of this species. Adult males are characterized by their overall pale grey plumage... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Ruaha National Park

Circus macrourus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Circus ranivorus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Terathopius ecaudatus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Haliaeetus vocifer

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Aquila rapax

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Gyps africanus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Melierax poliopterus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Elanus caeruleus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Aquila spilogaster

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Polemaetus bellicosus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Circaetus cinereus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Polyboroides typus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Biebrza National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	~20%
2	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~20%
3	Kidepo Valley National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
4	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
5	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~10%
6	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
7	Cévennes National Park	🇫🇷 France	~10%
8	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
9	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
10	Camargue	🇫🇷 France	~10%
11	Hortobágy National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~10%
12	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
13	Doñana National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
14	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
15	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
16	Białowieża National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	<5%
17	Monfragüe National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
18	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
19	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
20	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	<5%
21	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	<5%
22	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
23	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
24	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
25	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
26	Sierra de Guadarrama National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
27	Keoladeo National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
28	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
29	Sierra Nevada National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
30	Bavarian Forest National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	<5%
31	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	<5%
32	Kanha National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
33	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
34	Ecrins National Park	🇫🇷 France	Insufficient data
35	Mercantour National Park	🇫🇷 France	Insufficient data
36	Meru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	Insufficient data
37	Bale Mountains National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	Insufficient data
38	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
39	Aberdare National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	Insufficient data
40	Plitvice Lakes National Park	🇭🇷 Croatia	Insufficient data
41	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
42	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
43	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
44	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	Insufficient data
45	Bandhavgarh National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
46	Ranthambore National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
47	Kibale National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	Insufficient data
48	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	Insufficient data

← Back to Ruaha National Park

Montagu's Harrier

About the Montagu's Harrier

Recent sightings of Montagu's Harrier in Ruaha National Park

Closest Relatives at Ruaha National Park

Pale Harrier

African Marsh-Harrier

Bateleur

African Fish-Eagle

Tawny Eagle

White-backed Vulture

Eastern Chanting-Goshawk

Black-winged Kite

African Hawk-Eagle

Martial Eagle

Brown Snake Eagle

African Harrier-Hawk

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found