The Montagu’s Harrier, classified as ‘Endangered’ in Portugal and ‘Vulnerable’ in Spain, is a migratory bird of prey that spends autumn/winter in sub-Saharan Africa and spring/summer in Europe and Western Asia, with the Iberian Peninsula being home to a large part of its western population. The sharp decline in the population of this bird of prey is mainly the result of changes in agricultural practices and predation. In Portugal, the significant reduction in grain production areas to expand cattle production has resulted in a loss of suitable habitat for the species. The Montagu’s Harrier is then forced to breed in forage crops, where early mowing, in the middle of the breeding season, unintentionally destroys the nests made in the soil. As this species is highly dependent on agricultural areas for its survival, farmers play a key role in its conservation.

The LIFE SOS Pygargus project will protect this, one of the most endangered terrestrial species of Iberian fauna, which plays a fundamental role in ecosystems, ensuring their proper functioning and benefiting rural communities, particularly farmers, through the consumption of insects and small rodents. This brings together conservationists, researchers, farmers, public and private organisations and Iberian companies in an unprecedented cross-border effort to conserve this iconic prey of the cornfields.