Bird · GBIF taxon 6101217
Northern Harrier
Circus hudsoniusAlso known as Marsh Hawk, Ring-Tailed Hawk
Northern Harriers course low over grasslands and wetlands with a buoyant, tilt-and-wobble flight, using owl-like facial discs to pinpoint rodents rustling beneath vegetation. Adult males sport pale ghost-gray plumage while larger females and juveniles display warm brown tones with streaks below. During breeding season, males perform dramatic aerobatic courtship displays known as sky-dancing, tumbling and rolling through steep U-shaped dives before passing prey mid-air to their mates.
Bird of PreyRaptorGrassland
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Meadow Vole
- Deer Mouse
- Red-Winged Blackbird
Predators
- Great Horned Owl
- Coyote
- Red Fox
ThreatsWetland draining, habitat fragmentation, pesticide exposure, and ground nest predation
HabitatsMarshes, wet meadows, prairies, pastures, and agricultural fields
Life span12–15 years in the wild
Classification
- OrderAccipitriformes
- FamilyAccipitridae
- GenusCircus
- SpeciesCircus hudsonius
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Scan for the white rump: Look for a clean, bright white patch on the upper tail coverts to confirm identification in flight.
- Watch fence posts: Harriers perch much lower than other hawks, often resting on low stakes, hummocks, or directly on the ground.
- Stay along edges: Observe from roadsides or trail borders to avoid flushing them from their ground roosts or fragile nests.
Competitor (c) Derek Spencer, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Prey Needsmoreritalin (talk) / CC BY 3.0 · cc-by
Frequent Companion (c) Doug Macaulay, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Doug Macaulay · cc-by
Close Relative Александр Чегодаев / CC0 · cc0
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Mystic Meadows
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