<a href="https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/uks-rarest-breeding-birds-raise-chicks-for-first-time-in-six-years/" target="_blank">View original image source</a>.
Big news from the British countryside: Montagu’s harrier chicks are finally taking flight! After six whole years without a single one making it to the skies, four of these rare birds have successfully fledged from their nesting grounds in an English farmer’s wheat field. With the help of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and some pretty nifty predator-proof fencing, these little ones have beaten the odds stacked against them, including foxes and a few too many noisy combine harvesters buzzing around.
It’s no surprise that Montagu’s harriers are England’s rarest breeding birds. These feathered friends face an uphill battle every breeding season, with their nests on the ground exposed to all manner of threats. But this year, a determined conservation effort prevented these nestlings from becoming statistics. Even the farmer, who willingly sacrificed some of his crop to help protect their precious nests, found a silver lining in having such amazing avian guests on the property. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be known as the avian Airbnb host of the year?
Isn’t it just fantastic to see a community come together to create a win-win scenario? This story sparks hope for conservationists everywhere and reminds us of the importance of protecting our wildlife. Imagine the tales those chicks will share of their great escape from the field to the sky! What are the lengths you’d go to for protecting wildlife in your area?
About the Author
To get daily local headlines delivered to your inbox each morning, sign up for newsletter!
