Northern Harrier Images, Facts and Information:
Circus hudsonius
- Northern Harriers are slim, medium-sized raptors with long wings, long tails and they have owl-like facial discs with small bills.
- They use hearing as well as sight to locate their prey.
- Northern Harriers are sexually dimorphic meaning the males and females look different. Adult males are mostly gray above and white below and the females are brown above and mostly buffy with brown streaks below. Females can be up to 50% larger than males.
- Some Northern Harriers are migratory, some are year round residents in their range.
- Northern Harriers can be found in the lower 48, Canada, Alaska, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America.
- Northern Harriers eat mice, voles and other small rodents. They will also consume insects, small reptiles, small birds and carrion.
- Northern Harriers prefer open habitat near marshes, estuaries, wetlands, meadows, undisturbed grasslands, tundra and high desert shrubsteppe.
- Northern Harriers can lay between 3 to 9 eggs which take between 28 to 36 days to hatch. The female incubates.
- Northern Harrier males may have as many as five mates though most usually have two or three.
- They are also known as Marsh Hawks.
- Northern Harriers can live up to 16 years.
I hope you enjoy viewing my Northern Harrier photos.
Female Northern Harrier in flight over a creek
Title: Female Northern Harrier in flight over a creek
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 12/10/2013
Gray Ghost (male Northern Harrier) lift off
Title: Gray Ghost (male Northern Harrier) lift off
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/9/2013
Northern Harrier chasing a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk
Title: Northern Harrier chasing a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk
Location: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Date: 11/8/2012
Adult male Northern Harrier in flight
Title: Adult male Northern Harrier in flight
Location: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Date: 3/19/2012
Northern Harrier female flying along Antelope Island Causeway
Title: Northern Harrier female flying along Antelope Island Causeway
Location: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Date: 2/16/2012
Northern Harrier with the Great Salt Lake in the background
Title: Northern Harrier with the Great Salt Lake in the background
Location: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Date: 2/16/2012
Female Northern Harrier displaying her nictitating membrane
Title: Female Northern Harrier displaying her nictitating membrane
Location: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Date: 2/16/2012
Northern Harrier female in flight
Title: Northern Harrier female in flight
Location: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Date: 2/16/2012
Female Northern Harrier coursing along a road
Title: Female Northern Harrier coursing along a road
Location: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Date: 2/16/2012
Female Northern Harrier in flight over the Great Salt Lake
Title: Female Northern Harrier in flight over the Great Salt Lake
Location: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Date: 2/3/2012
Northern Harrier with the snow-covered Wasatch Range in the background
Title: Northern Harrier with the snow-covered Wasatch Range in the background
Location: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Date: 2/3/2012
2nd year male Northern Harrier
Title: 2nd year male Northern Harrier
Location: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/31/2012
Gray Ghost
Title: Gray Ghost
Location: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/31/2012
Male Northern Harrier flying near the Great Salt Lake
Title: Male Northern Harrier flying near the Great Salt Lake
Location: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/31/2012
Female Northern Harrier flying down a slope
Title: Female Northern Harrier flying down a slope
Location: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/12/2012
Male Northern Harrier in flight – Christmas Eve 2011
Title: Male Northern Harrier in flight – Christmas Eve 2011
Location: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Date: 12/24/2011
Male Northern Harrier flyby
Title: A Gray Ghost
Location: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Date: 12/24/2011
Northern Harrier in flight with Phrags in the background
Title: Northern Harrier in flight with Phrags in the background
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 11/3/2011
Northern Harrier photobombed by a Dragonfly
Title: Northern Harrier photobombed by a Dragonfly
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 8/17/2011
Female Northern Harrier in the nest
Title: Female Northern Harrier in the nest
Location: Bear River National Wildlife Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 4/28/2011
Female Northern Harrier touching down
Title: Female Northern Harrier touching down
Location: Bear River National Wildlife Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 4/28/2011
Female Northern Harrier hovering with nesting material
Title: Female Northern Harrier making approach to the nest
Location: Bear River National Wildlife Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 4/28/2011
Harrier slowing down above the nest
Title: Harrier slowing down above the nest
Location: Bear River National Wildlife Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 4/28/2011
Female Northern Harrier making approach to the nest
Title: Female Northern Harrier making approach to the nest
Location: Bear River National Wildlife Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 4/28/2011