Supporting guidance for Hen Harrier Grassland Management
This is an old version of the page
This is an old version of the page
Date published: 30 March, 2015
Date superseded: 14 December, 2015
The hen harrier is a ground nesting bird of prey associated with open country.
To survive and breed successfully, hen harriers need:
- large expanses of suitable open habitat for hunting
- prey consisting primarily of small birds and mammals
- safe nesting sites, free from disturbance
- protection from persecution
This option provides a dense cover of grass and other plants to support small birds and mammals that make up the majority of the hen harrier’s diet.
Orkney voles are a key food for hen harriers. Voles prefer a dense cover under which to hide and feed. With appropriate management, a variety of low vegetation types can provide these conditions.
Converting arable fields to grassland and managing existing grasslands more extensively is particularly important in relatively intensively managed landscapes.
Where to locate your hen harrier grassland management
To benefit hen harriers the area managed needs to be within the two kilometre core foraging area of known hen harrier nest sites. We recommend you contact your local Scottish Natural Heritage office for advice about suitable places to locate this option.
Here are some tips to help you choose locations for creating or managing good vole habitat:
- field corners can be awkward to cultivate and wetter and rougher than other parts of the field. They make ideal vole territory
- wetland margins can provide good vole habitat as voles seem to favour wet places
- rough grassland adjacent to moorland can support more than 100 voles per hectare
- new areas of rough grassland around moorland edges or coastal heath can be created by managing grazing (and is very beneficial to voles)
- rough grass margins of fields, tracks, burns or ditches all provide good vole habitat
- link areas of rough grassland with wildlife corridors to help voles colonise the grassland more quickly
Orkney vole habitat – Credit: Sarah Sankey
How to increase the success of this option
The Hen Harrier Grassland Management option works best where it is deployed alongside other options that improve the hunting opportunities for hen harriers and contribute to the safety of their nests.
These include:
What else will benefit from this option
Hen harrier grassland can provide food and shelter for a range of insects and other invertebrates, which in turn provide food for birds. Meadow pipits and skylarks nest here, as do waders such as curlew and snipe. As well as hen harriers, short-eared owls also like to hunt for voles over rough grassland.
Further information
For further information about hen harrier conservation contact your local Scottish Natural Heritage office.