Wildlife Conservation Project Montagu's Harrier Conservation
Märkisch-Oderland Brandenburg

A nest in the cornfield – rescue & protection fences for ground nests

In our intensively farmed agricultural landscape in Germany, bird species that breed on the ground are doomed to extinction. That is, unless dedicated bird conservationists such as the more than 40 volunteer Montagu's Harrier conservationists in Brandenburg sacrifice their free time and weekends for months on end, driving thousands of kilometres on village streets and dirt roads in their private cars from April to August, standing for hours to observe Montagu's Harriers, one of our rarest and most endangered bird of prey species, in the skies above the vast grain fields in north-eastern Brandenburg..

Here in Germany, three types of harriers can (still) be found, all of which, Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier and Montagu's Harrier, build their nests on the ground and in autumn, they migrate to warmer and more food-rich regions of Southern Europe and Africa. However, both elements of their behaviour are increasingly leading to their undoing.

Threat factors

More and more high-voltage power lines and wind turbines fragment the airspace above the open countryside, and intensive agricultural land use robs the Montagu's harriers of their former natural nesting sites in extensive wetlands, moors and heathland. As a result, the remaining 450 Montagu's harrier breeding pairs in Germany are forced to nest mainly in grain fields.

Not such a bad idea, bird lovers think to themselves. Unfortunately, however, a cereal field in its growth phase is driven over several times a year with machines, sprayed with agricultural chemicals, and the harvest dates are now 4-6 weeks earlier than 30 years ago. Ground-breeding bird species in today's intensively used fields, such as the Eurasian Skylark and the Montagu's Harrier, have little chance of successful breeding and rearing their young: nests, clutches and young birds are often unintentionally shredded and chopped to death under pressure to farm cost-effectively.

As a result, the Hen Harrier is classified as ‘critically endangered’ and the Montagu's Harrier as ‘severely endangered’ on the ‘Red List of Breeding Birds in Germany’. However, this scientific classification alone and the current nature conservation policy will not prevent the extinction of these two rare bird of prey species!

Aims and objectives of conservation

So what can be done to ensure these few Montagu's Harrier breeding pairs have an undisturbed nest site and can raise their young successfully?

For a Montagu's harrier conservation project to be successful in north-eastern Brandenburg, volunteers have to be out and about from April to August, often until sunset and on weekends, driving thousands of kilometres of country roads and field paths, marking the harrier nest sites found in cornfields and grassland, and protecting them with fences from predators and agricultural activity.

Only these time-consuming protective measures can ensure that Montagu's harrier nest and breeding sites, the clutches of eggs and even the young are safe from nest robbers such as foxes, raccoons and wild boar, and that farmers and contractors can avoid the marked, fenced-off nest sites when working in the fields.

Our project commitment

In 2024, our Foundation encouraged the Montagu's Harrier conservationists in north-eastern Brandenburg to found a registered nature conservation association, which, in fulfilment of our statutory purpose, allows us to support them financially and sustainably in their active and effective Montagu's Harrier conservation work.

In 2024, 17 Montagu's Harrier nest sites were precisely pinpointed. The broods failed in two nests, probably because the eggs were eaten before the nests could be fenced in. Nevertheless, the conservationists secured 15 ground nests with fences on time, and the 52 Montagu's Harrier young birds that successfully fledged in 2024 were the best possible reward for all their time-consuming conservation work.

Our Foundation finances protective fences, protective grids and working materials, high-performance binoculars, up to 45,000 km of documented project-related travel costs (km allowance) per year and a subsidy for the purchase of drones for time-efficient and low-impact ground nest searches from the air for the Montagu's Harrier conservation project.

Our request for donations

Please help us with your dedicated donation to this challenging bird of prey conservation project. The annual Montagu's Harrier conservation work in north-eastern Brandenburg, including the repeated search for new ground nests to be fenced in and regularly monitored, costs us up to 18,000 euros a year, depending on the number of active Montagu's Harrier conservationists, the kilometres travelled to check the nest locations, and the purchase of new nest protection and other material.