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.
Male Northern Harrier perched on a No Littering sign in a fog
Title: Male Northern Harrier perched on a No Littering sign in a fog
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/10/2010
Northern Harrier in flight against a gray sky
Title: Northern Harrier in flight against a gray sky
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/10/2010
Northern Harrier in flight with frosty background
Title: Northern Harrier in flight with frosty background
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/8/2010
Harrier in flight over a snowy field
Title: Harrier in flight over a snowy field
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/8/2010
Northern Harrier image showing the expelled pellet
Title: Northern Harrier image showing the expelled pellet
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/3/2010
Northern Harrier slipping on fence while regurgitating a pellet
Title: Northern Harrier slipping on fence while regurgitating a pellet
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/3/2010
Northern Harrier almost falling
Title: Northern Harrier almost falling
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/3/2010
Northern Harrier trying hard to expel a pellet
Title: Northern Harrier trying hard to expel a pellet
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/3/2010
Northern Harrier with pellet in bill
Title: Northern Harrier with pellet in bill
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 1/3/2010
Northern Harrier “ground hunting”
Title: Northern Harrier “ground hunting”
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 12/28/2009
Ground hunting Northern Harrier
Title: Ground hunting Northern Harrier
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 12/28/2009
Northern Harrier pano
Title: Northern Harrier pano
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 12/28/2009
Yawning Northern Harrier
Title: Yawning Northern Harrier
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 12/26/2009
Perched Harrier
Title: Perched Harrier
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 12/26/2009
Preening Northern Harrier
Title: Preening Northern Harrier
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 12/26/2009
Harrier in flight over a frosty field
Title: Harrier in flight over a frosty field
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 12/26/2009
Harrier in the phragmites
Title: Harrier in the phragmites
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 12/26/2009
Gray Ghost (male Northern Harrier) in flight over Farmington Bay
Title: Gray Ghost (male Northern Harrier) in flight over Farmington Bay
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 12/17/2009
Northern Harrier in flight with snow covered Wasatch Mountains in the background
Title: Northern Harrier in flight with snow covered Wasatch Mountains in the background
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 12/10/2009
Northern Harrier and a frosty marsh habitat
Title: Northern Harrier and a frosty marsh habitat
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 12/10/2009
Harrier floating on a south wind
Title: Harrier floating on a south wind
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 12/3/2009
Northern Harrier fly over
Title: Northern Harrier fly over
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 11/25/2009
Northern Harrier hunting over the phrags
Title: Northern Harrier hunting over the phrags
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 11/24/2009