Northern Harrier Hawk

Description:

A long-winged, long-tailed hawk of open grassland and marshes, the Northern Harrier forages by flying slowly low above the ground looking for small rodents. It is one of the few raptors in which the sexes look quite different: the male is white below with a light gray back and hood, the female is mottled in browns. Identification Tips: Length: 16.5 inches Wingspan: 42 inches Medium-sized, long-winged, long-tailed hawk Rounded wings, can appear pointed while gliding White rump Short, dark, hooked beak Often courses low over marshes and fields on wings held in a strong dihedral Flat face with owl-like facial disk Adult male: Pale gray body plumage, paler on underparts Darker gray head Black tips to flight feathers, especially noticeable on the outer primaries Narrow dark bars on tail Adult female: Buff underparts with darker streaks on breast, belly, and underwing coverts Dark barring on flight feathers most visible from below Dark patch on inner wing created by dark secondaries and dark secondary covert Dark brown above Narrow barring on tail Immature: Dark brown streaked head Orange-buff underparts without streaks Dark barring on flight feathers most visible from below Dark patch on inner wing created by dark secondaries and dark secondary covert Dark brown above Narrow dark barring on tail Adult Description •Medium-sized hawk. •Long tail. •Long, slender, rounded wings. •White rump. •Flies low, with wings held up in slight "V." Male Description Head, back, and upper chest light gray. Chest and belly white, usually with some rusty markings extending onto flanks. Wingtips black. Line of black on rear of wings. Underwings white. Tail darkish gray above and whitish below, with some barring. Rump white. Female Description Back dark brown, with many feathers edged with tawny. Face streaked brown and whitish. Face outlined by white facial disk. Chest and belly streaked dirty white and tan. Rump white. Upper side of wings brown, lower side barred white and dark brown. Tail brown with dark bars. Immature Description Juvenile similar to adult female, but with rusty wash across mostly unstreaked underparts.

Habitat:

Range and Habitat Northern Harrier: Breeds from Alaska to the northern U.S. Spends winters from the southern U.S. to Central America. Preferred habitats include open fields, savannas, meadows, and marshes.

Notes:

INTERESTING FACTS The common name, Harrier, is from the Old English word “herigan” and means to harass or plunder. Their species name, Circus cyanus, comes from the Greek word “kirkos”, meaning circle and the word “cyan” which is a shade of blue. These refer to the Northern Harrier’s flight pattern while hunting and the color of the male bird. Unusual among hawks, Northern Harriers use their sense of hearing to help locate prey. They have an owl-like facial disk to help with directional hearing and soft feathers for a quieter flight.