Hawks & Eagles in Oxfordshire
6 species matching this filter.
Oxfordshire is home to six recorded species of hawks and eagles, making it a rewarding county for raptor enthusiasts. The rolling Chiltern Hills and expansive farmland provide ideal hunting grounds for the now-iconic Red Kite, whose remarkable recovery story is one of Britain's greatest conservation successes. Other notable species include the Buzzard, commonly seen soaring over the county's woodlands, and scarcer visitors such as the Hen Harrier and Western Marsh-harrier.
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
A common and conspicuous resident, frequently seen soaring over farmland, woodland edges, and motorway verges. Has increased dramatically since the 1990s.
Year-round
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneusLC
A rare winter visitor to open farmland and marshes, occasionally seen quartering fields at Otmoor and other low-lying areas.
Dec–Mar
Northern Goshawk
Accipiter gentilisLC
A rare passage visitor, with records mainly in March. Secretive and elusive, most likely seen near larger woodland blocks such as in the Chilterns.
Mar
Red Kite
Milvus milvusLC
An Oxfordshire success story following the Chilterns reintroduction, now a common and iconic sight soaring over towns and countryside alike.
Year-round
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
A stealthy resident raptor hunting small birds through woodland and gardens. Often detected by panicked alarm calls of its prey.
Year-round
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
An uncommon year-round resident, increasingly seen quartering reedbeds and marshes at Otmoor and along the Thames valley. Numbers have grown in recent decades.
Year-round