Circus cyaneus
The hunted egret is a graceful bird of prey, known in Romania as a faithful visitor of the cold season. While reed eretes dominate in summer, hunted eretes take control of the open areas of the Danube Delta in winter. It is a bird adapted to hunting in harsh conditions, its tireless patrol over stubble, dykes and steppe areas being a typical landscape for the winter months in Dobrogea. Adult males are of rare beauty, having a light and ghostly flight.
Extremely pronounced sexual dimorphism. The adult male is pale grey-blue (bluish) on the back and breast, with black wingtips and pure white abdomen. The female, significantly larger, is brown with streaks and has a prominent white patch above the tail (white rump), aiding identification. Both have a facial disc similar to owls, helping them locate prey by sound, and long yellow legs. Juveniles resemble females.
The species breeds in the temperate and subarctic zones of Eurasia. In Romania it is present only on passage and during winter (October–March). In the Danube Delta it prefers open habitats: pastures, farmland, sandy areas with low vegetation and dry zones at the edge of lake complexes. Unlike the Marsh Harrier, it generally avoids the interior of dense reedbeds.
Hunting technique is similar to other harriers: it flies low, "listening" for prey movements through vegetation. Its winter diet consists mainly of small mammals (voles, field mice) and small birds wintering in agricultural areas. It is partially crepuscular and can be seen hunting until late dusk. At night they may gather in communal roosts on the ground.
Does not breed in Romania. Breeding grounds are in marshes and tundra of northern Europe and Asia. It builds its nest on the ground in dense vegetation. The female lays 4–6 eggs and incubates them while the male provides food. Once frost arrives, populations migrate south, reaching the Danube basin and Dobruja steppe in large numbers.
Globally listed as Least Concern (LC), but populations in many western European countries are declining due to persecution and habitat loss. In Romania it is protected. Main threats in wintering areas include pesticide (rodenticide) use, which can poison birds through consumption of contaminated prey. The Danube Delta and Razim-Sinoe lagoons are critical European wintering sites.