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Northern Harrier
Circus hudsonius
Audubon Illustration
John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.
Migration Flyway
Showing primary migration corridor(s) for this species
Last Spotted Near You
About the Northern Harrier
The northern harrier (Circus hudsonius), also known as the marsh hawk or ring-tailed hawk, is a bird of prey. It breeds throughout the northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere in Canada and the northernmost United States. The northern harrier migrates south in winter, with breeding birds in Canada and northern Great Plains of the U.S. moving to the American south, Mexico, and Central America. In the midwestern, mountain west, and north Atlantic states of the U.S., they may be present all year. This bird inhabits prairies, open areas, and marshes.
Source: Wikipedia
Classification
- Scientific name
- Circus hudsonius
- Family
- Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Order
- Accipitriformes
Similar species
Other members of the hawks, eagles, and kites family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.
- American Goshawk Astur atricapillus
- Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus
- Bicolored Hawk Astur bicolor
- Black Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus tyrannus
- Black Kite Milvus migrans
- Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus melanoleucus
- Black-collared Hawk Busarellus nigricollis
- Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus
- Chinese Sparrowhawk Tachyspiza soloensis
- Common Black Hawk Buteogallus anthracinus
- Cooper's Hawk Astur cooperii
- Crane Hawk Geranospiza caerulescens
Know when the Northern Harrier turns up near you
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Optics
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