This English Reserve is Home to the Mysterious “Ghost of the Heath,” a Fascinating Bird

To save a species from extinction, several solutions can be implemented. One of the best that can take place is the wilderness of animals in the wild. In England, to prevent the Saint-Martin busard, also known as the “Ghost of the Heath”, knowing a pure and simple disappearance of the surface of the earth, a reserve has grown to continue to be able to welcome them .

“” ” The largest reserve in England »

By allocating ⅓ of an extra area, the geltsdale reserve has taken one more step towards the conservation, in large numbers, many species of birds. Indeed, thanks to this addition, “Geltsdale is the largest [ndr, la réserve] of England”Enthusiastic Beccy Speight, a high-responsible Royal Society for the Protection of the Birds (RSPB), the equivalent of our French LPO, in remarks reported by The Guardian.

Thus, out of 5,500 hectares of many species will be able to flourish out of dangers. We can count golden pluviers, lyres tetras, marsh owls, valves, emery hawks, crutch, gambette knights, trades and, among other things, representatives of a past species close to extinction : Saint-Martin buses that we also know under the name of “Ghost of the Heath”.

© Piotr Krzeslak – Shutterstock

A particularly threatened “ghost” raptor in England

If the Geltsdale reserve is delighted to grow, it is partly because it will be able to welcome representatives of the “Ghost of the Heath” even more easily, the one who has the sad title of being the “raptor more persecuted in England ”.

Indeed, it passed very close to the extinction in England because the latter was in particular attacked the high -air poultry in the English moor, explains the RSPB. But it was not his unique prey. Indeed, he also attacked particularly popular species of hunters: Les Tétras-Lyres.

This therefore led farmers and hunters to attack the “Ghost of the Heath”. Today, thanks to Geltsdale, he can again be reintroduced into nature without being driven out.

How to recognize the Saint-Martin busard?

The “Ghost of Heath” (Circus Cyaneus) is a raptor or bird of prey found in various environments in Europe and Asia. However, where you are most likely to find it is in the Landes, hence its nickname.

One can easily recognize a male of a female, because the species has sexual dimorphism. Thus, the male Busard Saint-Martin is blue gray with a rather pale underside, and black ends at the level of its wings, an appearance which surely gives it a little appearance of a ghost when it flies.

For their part, the female and the small, are much better camouflaged in the landscape of the Landes. Indeed, they are brown in color and have streaks on the body and wings.

Source : The Guardian