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Focusing on the marsh harrier:

• Marsh harriers were extinct in the UK by the end of the 19th century. They started to recolonise the Norfolk Broads in the 1920’s but by 1971 there was only one breeding pair at Minsmere but they have since made a recovery.
• The marsh harrier has the broadest wings of all the harriers.
• The winter raptor roost at Stubb Mill at NWT Hickling Broad and marshes has recorded over 100 marsh harriers.

Focusing on the common buzzard

• Buzzards spend a lot of the time sitting around and are often seen perched on posts or in trees and bushes.
• The buzzards mating flight is called the rollercoaster as the male bird flies up into the sky and then plummets down in a spiral.
• Buzzards make big nests out of twigs and branches. They can be up to 100cm wide and 60cm deep and a pair can have two or three nests in their territory.

Focusing on the red kite

• The red kite was extinct as a breeding bird in the UK, except for a small population in Wales.
• Red kites are spreading across the country and in 2016 eight pairs of kites were reported as breeding or attempting to breed in Norfolk.
• Red kites are mentioned 15 times in Shakespeare’s plays. They were common scavengers in London feeding on carrion and scraps and using rags to build their nests.