Common Name: Northern Harrier, Marsh Hawk, Ring-tailed Hawk
Scientific Name: Circus hudsonius
Order/Family: Accipitriformes/Accipitridae
Description: The slender-bodied northern harrier has a long tail and wings, yellow legs, owl-like facial discs, a conspicuous white rump patch, and yellow eyes. Adult males have blue-gray upperparts and white underparts. The females are brown above and buffy below, with brown streaking down the sides of the chest and flanks. Juvenile harriers of both sexes have dark brown backs with rusty overtones and cinnamon underparts, with no streaking. The northern harrier is a medium-sized raptor. The female is typically larger than the male.
Distribution: 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.
Habitat: This bird inhabits prairies, open areas, and marshes.
