Species Spotlight: Northern Harrier
Looks Like: Northern Harriers are slender, medium-sized hawks. Adult males have gray and white plumage, while the juveniles and larger females are mostly brown. Harriers have a distinct white patch at the base of the tail that can be seen in flight.
Lives In: Northern Harriers are often referred to as Marsh Hawks due to their tendency to glide back and forth over marshland as they search for prey. They are at home in open, undeveloped areas such as marshes, meadows, and sometimes farm fields.
Niche: As raptors, Harriers hunt and kill their prey, typically small mammals or small birds, which they eat while perched on the ground. They have been known to kill large prey by catching and then drowning them. They prefer undisturbed areas with low, thick vegetation. In our area they are often seen cruising over fields, marshes, and estuaries in the wintertime. Harriers are ground-nesters and rely on grasses and other vegetation to conceal their nests.
Threats: Habitat loss, particularly the loss of wetlands, is the primary threat, although the use of pesticides has reduced and poisoned much of the Harrier’s prey base.
Frequency: Although Northern Harriers are common, their populations have been in serious decline since the mid-1960s. In the Hudson Valley, Harriers can usually be seen year-round.
Reproduction: A pair will typically reproduce only once per year, during spring in most temperate areas. The female will lay four to five eggs at a time and spend the entire nesting season incubating the eggs and later the chicks, while males provide food. After about two weeks, the young will begin to make short explorations out of the nest, and are largely independent by autumn.
Fun Fact: While most hawks rely primarily on eyesight to find prey, Northern Harriers have owl-like faces that allow them to effectively listen for prey as well as look. Their faces are disc-shaped, like an owl’s, and the feathers around their faces are stiffened and positioned to direct sound to their ears.
