Montagu's Harrier
Circus pygargus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAccipitriformes
- FamilyAccipitridae (Accipítrids)
- GenusCircus (Harriers)
- SpeciesCircus pygargus (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. Wikipedia →
5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Montagu's Harrier sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, based on 213 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Pale Harrier
Circus macrourus
Western Marsh-Harrier
Circus aeruginosus
African Marsh-Harrier
Circus ranivorus
Augur Buzzard
Buteo augur
White-backed Vulture
Gyps africanus
Tawny Eagle
Aquila rapax
Lappet-faced Vulture
Torgos tracheliotos
Black Kite
Milvus migrans
Bateleur
Terathopius ecaudatus
Black-winged Kite
Elanus caeruleus
Ruppell's griffon
Gyps rueppellii
Black-breasted Snake Eagle
Circaetus pectoralis
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Montagu's Harrier in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?
About 8% of wildlife watchers report a Montagu's Harrier sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, based on 213 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Montagu's Harrier in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?
February has the highest sighting rate for Montagu's Harrier in Ngorongoro Conservation Area in our monthly data.