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. Unlike other hawks, the Northern Harrier relies on its hearing as well as its vision to capture prey. The feathers of the face are stiff to help transmit sound, and it shows a pronounced "facial disk," much like that of an owl. The Northern Harrier feeds primarily on mice, other small mammals, and small birds. It will, however, take larger prey, such as rabbits and ducks. It has been known to subdue large prey by drowning it.

Habitat:

Open wetlands, meadows, pastures, prairies, grasslands, croplands, and riparian woodlands.

Notes:

Best way to see... find where they are flying or hunting, go sit in the tall grass(be aware of snakes and ants in Texas), and wait. They will eventually fly over to see what you are all about.