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.
Northern Harrier female circling with nesting material
Title: Northern Harrier female circling with nesting material
Location: Bear River National Wildlife Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 4/28/2011
Female Northern Harrier in flight with nesting material
Title: Female Northern Harrier in flight with nesting material
Location: Bear River National Wildlife Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 4/28/2011
Female Northern Harrier with nesting material
Title: Female Northern Harrier with nesting material
Location: Bear River National Wildlife Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 4/28/2011
Northern Harrier bringing nesting material to the nest
Title: Northern Harrier bringing nesting material to the nest
Location: Bear River National Wildlife Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 4/28/2011
Northern Harrier hunting in the phragmites
Title: Northern Harrier hunting in the phragmites
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 2/2/2011
Hovering Harrier
Title: Hovering Harrier
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 2/2/2011
Northern Harrier searching for prey
Title: Northern Harrier searching for prey
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/24/2011
Gray Ghost (Northern Harrier male) lift off from the snow
Title: Gray Ghost (Northern Harrier male) lift off from the snow
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/13/2011
Gray Ghost (male Northern Harrier) hunting over pigweed
Title: Gray Ghost (male Northern Harrier) hunting over pigweed
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/13/2011
Gray Ghost – Northern Harrier male
Title: Gray Ghost – Northern Harrier male
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/13/2011
Eye level with a Northern Harrier
Title: Eye level with a Northern Harrier
Location: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/11/2011
Northern Harrier hunting on a low light winter day
Title: Northern Harrier hunting on a low light winter day
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/4/2011
Northern Harrier pano
Title: Northern Harrier pano
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/4/2011
Northern Harrier flying through a marsh
Title: Northern Harrier flying through a marsh
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 11/26/2010
The “Gray Ghost”, male Northern Harrier in hovering flight
Title: The “Gray Ghost”, male Northern Harrier in hovering flight
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 11/18/2010
Hovering male Harrier
Title: Hovering male Harrier
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 11/18/2010
Perched male Northern Harrier
Title: Perched male Northern Harrier
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 2/4/2010
Northern Harrier male with phragmites in the background
Title: Northern Harrier male with phragmites in the background
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 2/4/2010
Northern Harrier flying above a hilltop
Title: Northern Harrier flying above a hilltop
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/21/2010
Male Northern Harrier fly by
Title: Male Northern Harrier fly by
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/19/2010
Male Northern Harrier with the Wasatch Range in the background
Title: Male Northern Harrier with the Wasatch Range in the background
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/19/2010
Gray Ghost (male Northern Harrier) in flight
Title: Gray Ghost (male Northern Harrier) in flight
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/19/2010
Perched Northern Harrier at Farmington Bay
Title: Perched Northern Harrier at Farmington Bay
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/15/2010
Northern Harrier floating along the top of frosty weeds
Title: Northern Harrier floating along the top of frosty weeds
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/11/2010