The largest harrier in Europe, the marsh harrier is 480 to 560mm long with a wingspan of 1150 to 1300mm. The male’s plumage is mostly dark brown with a paler head and breast. When in flight, the wings are blue-grey with black wingtips and a blue-grey tail is obvious. The female is almost entirely chocolate brown, except the top of the head, the throat and the shoulders, which are a lighter yellow colour. They hunt in typical harrier fashion, gliding low over the ground in search of prey, with their wings held in a shallow “V” shape and legs dangling. Small mammals, birds, insects, reptiles and frogs are all on the menu.