1. Pair Formation:
- Marsh hawks are monogamous, meaning they typically mate with one partner for each breeding season.
- Males establish and defend territories during the breeding season. Courtship flights and displays help attract females.
2. Courtship Display:
- Males perform impressive courtship displays, including high, soaring flights, vocalizations, and acrobatics to impress females.
3. Nest Building:
- Both males and females participate in nest construction.
- Nests are built on the ground, often in dense vegetation like tall grasses or reeds.
- Nests are shallow depressions lined with grasses, leaves, and other plant material.
4. Egg Laying:
- Females lay 3 to 7 eggs, with an average clutch size of 4-5 eggs.
- Eggs are white to pale greenish-blue, often with brown or lavender markings.
- Eggs are laid at intervals of 1-2 days.
5. Incubation:
- Incubation lasts about 28-35 days and is primarily carried out by the female.
- Males may provide food to the female during this period and guard the nest site.
6. Hatching:
- Chicks hatch asynchronously, meaning they hatch over a period of several days.
- Chicks are semi-altricial, meaning they are born in a relatively developed state but still rely on their parents for food and protection.
7. Chick Rearing:
- Both parents feed the chicks by regurgitating partially digested prey.
- Chicks fledge (leave the nest) at around 35-40 days after hatching.
8. Fledgling Period:
- After fledging, young marsh hawks remain dependent on their parents for food and protection for several weeks until they become fully independent.
9. Second Brood:
- Marsh hawks may attempt a second brood if the first nesting attempt fails or if conditions are favorable.
10. Migration:
- Marsh hawks are migratory birds and typically migrate south for the winter to warmer regions.
- Migration usually occurs in late summer or early fall and they return to their breeding grounds in the spring.
Note that the mating and reproduction cycle may vary slightly among different populations and subpopulations of the marsh hawk based on geographic location and local environmental conditions.