Northern Harrier

Northern Harrier, female with nestlings 9-11 days old

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Northern Harrier, female at nest with young 9-10 d old

Northern Harrier, juvenile in flight.

Northern Harrier, juvenile (1st year; Juvenal plumage); Jamaica Bay, NY

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

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.

Description

• Medium-sized hawk.
• Long tail.
• Long, slender, rounded wings.
• White rump.
• Flies low, with wings held up in slight "V."

• Size: 46-50 cm (18-20 in)
• Wingspan: 102-118 cm (40-46 in)
• Weight: 300-750 g (10.59-26.48 ounces)

Sex Differences

Male gray on back, light below, and wingtips black. Female brown on back and striped brown and white below. Female larger.

Sound

Courtship call a series of "kek" or "ke" notes. Also a piercing, descending scream.

Conservation Status

Populations declined in 20th century from loss of wetlands and changes in farming practices. Now stable or slightly declining in most areas.

Other Names

Busard Saint-Martin (French)
Aguilucho pálido, Gavilán rastrero, Gavilán sabanero (Spanish)
Hen Harrier (British), Marsh Hawk (English)

Cool Facts

• Most male Northern Harriers are mated to one or two females at the same time. Some males pair with up to five mates in a season. Females incubate the eggs and brood the offspring, while the male provides the bulk of the food for his mates and their nestlings.
• 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.

Sources used to construct this page:

MacWhirter, R. B., and K. L. Bildstein. 1996. Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus). In The Birds of North America, No. 210 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists? Union, Washington, D.C.