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 →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Montagu's Harrier sighting in Serengeti National Park, based on 454 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Serengeti National Park
Pale Harrier
Circus macrourus
Western Marsh-Harrier
Circus aeruginosus
African Marsh-Harrier
Circus ranivorus
Tawny Eagle
Aquila rapax
Lappet-faced Vulture
Torgos tracheliotos
White-backed Vulture
Gyps africanus
Bateleur
Terathopius ecaudatus
Black-winged Kite
Elanus caeruleus
Dark Chanting-Goshawk
Melierax metabates
Ruppell's griffon
Gyps rueppellii
Hooded Vulture
Necrosyrtes monachus
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 Serengeti National Park?
About 12% of wildlife watchers report a Montagu's Harrier sighting in Serengeti National Park, based on 454 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Montagu's Harrier in Serengeti National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for Montagu's Harrier in Serengeti National Park in our monthly data.