Food and Foraging Methods
The diet consists mainly of small ground-living animals in areas of low or sparse vegetation. An important part is taken by small rodents, small birds and large insects.
As this bird has a wide distribution, it will take whatever prey is available in the area where it nests; in the steppe it will take many sousliks, whereas in southern Europe, more lizards and large insects will be caught. In areas where the food supply is composed almost exclusively of rodents, the breeding success depends greatly on the cyclic fluctuations of vole populations.
Prey is caught while flying along fixed routes at low heights and constant low speeds (c. 30 km/h), as is typical of harriers. The flight is considered lighter and more dexterous than other harriers enabling it to take more agile prey. When possible it often follows the edges of various vegetation to catch its prey by surprise. This is taken after a short stoop, though fast running animals and flying birds can be chased over a short distance.
During the breeding season, the male will provision the female and later the young with food. The rate of provisioning increases from 5 to 6 times per day during incubation to 7 to 10 times per day when young have hatched, though the male can be handicapped by wet, foggy or windy weather. In a manner typical of harriers, prey is passed between partners in the air: The female flies underneath the male, who drops the prey for her to catch. The male hunts over a large area up to 12 km away from the nest. The female hunts closer to the nest, up to 1 km away, and only after the young have hatched.
Read more about this topic: Montagu's Harrier
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