Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus)Where and when to see it in the UK
Status not yet classified · reporting peaks January · Kites, Old World Vultures, Eagles, and Hawks · BOU category A
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Pallid Harrier has been recorded in 93 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (3%) in records to 2026. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in January.
Conservation status: Near Threatened (IUCN Red List, NT)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 100% or more of visits
- High
- 4% to 100%
- Moderate
- <1% to 4%
- Low
- under <1%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 90% | <1% | High |
| February | 48% | <1% | Moderate |
| March | 16% | <1% | High |
| April | 3% | <1% | Low |
| May | 11% | <1% | Low |
| June | 0% | <1% | Insufficient records |
| July | 0% | <1% | Insufficient records |
| August | 1% | <1% | Very high |
| September | 100% | <1% | Low |
| October | 65% | <1% | Very high |
| November | 74% | <1% | Very high |
| December | 49% | <1% | High |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in January
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| TF62 | Norfolk, England | 100% | Very high |
| TF94 | Norfolk, England | 25% | High |
| SS49 | Swansea, Wales | 11% | High |
| TF72 | Norfolk, England | 5% | High |
| SS59 | Swansea, Wales | 5% | High |
| NR26 | Argyll and Bute, Scotland | 4% | High |
| SR99 | Pembrokeshire, Wales | 4% | Moderate |
| TA31 | East Riding of Yorkshire, England | 2% | Moderate |
| HP51 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | <1% | Insufficient records |
| HP61 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | <1% | Surveyed, not recorded |