Marsh Harriers, which are generally split into 6 sub-species, can be found in most parts of the world with the exception of North and South America. The species that we see here in France is the Western Marsh Harrier which is found throughout Europe and Asia. Once again it’s another species with a history of persecution and then during the 1950's & 60's a severe decline with the widespread use of organochloride pesticides (e.g. DDT). Since the 1970’s following the introduction of laws to protect them and the banning of the use of DDT populations have grown to the current levels where it is estimated that there are between 1,600 and 2,200 nesting couples in France. Although they can be seen throughout France, the map shows where the major concentrations are.

Although they are, as the name suggests, principally birds of wetlands – lakes, marshes and coastal regions, they can also be found on open land and increasingly where there is cultivation of cereals. They are a great predator of waterfowl eggs and chicks but also take frogs, lizards, insects and small mammals with the occasional rabbit. In many ways they are an extraordinarily lazy and apathetic bird that doesn’t like, (or perhaps doesn’t need), to waste too much energy on hunting. They are usually seen gliding around at low altitude with very few flaps of the wings choosing easy targets such as very young water birds,  birds that are injured or sick or perhaps a frog that is sunning itself, definitely not a bird that makes life hard for itself.  They invariably catch their prey using the left talon and surprisingly despite their size and strength many potential victims escape. Outside of nesting season where there are abundant reeds and sedges communal roosts are often formed with up to 25 birds or more. The Marsh Harrier is very quiet and rarely cries or calls outside of the breeding season

Habitat degradation and loss are serious concerns with the disappearance of 50% of French wetlands having already taken place, although as noted they seem to be increasingly nesting in wheat fields which also present dangers. Pollution and poisoning are also always of concern and illegal shooting is always an issue however overall the populations are small but stable and there are a number of conservation projects that include them.