How to Identify aNorthern Harrier
Circus hudsonius · 18.1–19.7 in (46–50 cm)
Male vs. female
Male
Pale gray above and white below with black wingtips — the so-called gray ghost.
Female
Brown above and streaked buff below, noticeably larger than the male.
Male photo: Becky Matsubara from El Sobrante, California / Wikimedia, CC BY 2.0 · Female photo: Frank Schulenburg / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Field marks
- Bright white rump patch at the base of the tail
- Wings held in a shallow V while gliding
- Long tail and long narrow wings
- Owl-like facial disc
Similar species
What it sounds like
A rapid chattering "kek-kek-kek" near the nest; otherwise quiet.
Behaviour that gives it away
Hunts by ear as much as by eye, using a facial disc like an owl’s to locate rodents in tall grass.
Habitat & range
Marshes, grasslands, prairies and farm fields across North America.
When you'll see it
Depending on where in North America you are, it is present all year and a winter visitor.
What it eats
Voles and other small mammals, plus small birds.
Did you know?
It is the only North American hawk with an owl-like facial disc, which channels sound to its ears for hunting by sound.
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