▁often ▁smaller ▁and ▁d rier ▁than ▁those ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁mar sh ▁har rier . ▁It ▁also ▁util izes ▁he ath s , ▁d unes , ▁mo ors , ▁and ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁ste ppe . ▁It ▁adapt s ▁to ▁shr ub lands ▁in ▁g or se ▁or ▁he ather ▁and ▁to ▁areas ▁plant ed ▁with ▁young ▁con if ers . ▁ ▁When ▁no ▁other ▁suitable ▁habitat ▁is ▁available ▁this ▁har rier ▁will ▁nest ▁in ▁agricult ural ▁far ml ands ▁where ▁it ▁is ▁vulner able ▁to ▁early ▁har vest ing . ▁Among st ▁these ▁it ▁cho oses ▁especially ▁grass lands ▁and ▁c ere al ▁cro ps ▁such ▁as ▁whe at , ▁bar ley , ▁o ats ▁and ▁col za . ▁In ▁western ▁Europe , ▁up ▁to ▁ 7 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁bre eds ▁in ▁artificial ▁habit ats . ▁ ▁In ▁short , ▁for ▁bre eding ▁the ▁Mont agu ' s ▁har rier ▁requires ▁a ▁large ▁open ▁area , ▁with ▁sufficiently ▁tall ▁ground ▁veget ation ▁to ▁afford ▁cover ▁without ▁being ▁over g rown . ▁It ▁fav ours ▁posts ▁on ▁which ▁both ▁male ▁and ▁female ▁can ▁rest ▁and ▁survey ▁the ▁bre eding ▁area : ▁these ▁can ▁be ▁f ence posts , ▁small ▁trees , ▁or ▁rock y ▁out cro ps . ▁When ▁hunting , ▁in ▁any ▁season , ▁it ▁pre fers ▁areas ▁of ▁low ▁or ▁sparse ▁veget ation ▁where ▁pre y ▁is ▁more ▁visible . ▁D ens ely ▁settled ▁areas ▁are ▁generally ▁avoided ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁highly ▁sus cept ible ▁to