Northern Harrier
A species of Harriers Scientific name : Circus hudsonius Genus : Harriers
Northern Harrier, A species of Harriers
Botanical name: Circus hudsonius
Genus: Harriers
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Don DeBold from San Jose, CA, USA , used under CC-BY-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original 
Description
The northern harrier is 41–52 cm (16–20 in) long with a 97–122 cm (38–48 in) wingspan. It resembles other harriers in having distinct male and female plumages. The sexes also differ in weight, with males weighing 290 to 400 g (10 to 14 oz), with an average of 350 g (12 oz), and females weighing 390 to 750 g (14 to 26 oz), with an average of 530 g (19 oz). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 32.8 to 40.6 cm (12.9 to 16.0 in), the tail is 19.3 to 25.8 cm (7.6 to 10.2 in) and the tarsus is 7.1 to 8.9 cm (2.8 to 3.5 in). It is relatively long winged and long tailed, having the longest wing and tail relative to its body size of any raptor occurring in North America. The northern harrier has been split from the hen harrier by some taxonomists based on genetic analysis. It breeds in North America and its closest relative is the Cinereous Harrier (C. cinereus). The male's plumage is darker grey than that of the hen harrier and the female is also darker and more rufous. The adult male is sometimes nicknamed the "Grey Ghost", because of his striking plumage and spectral aura. The female gives a whistled piih-eh when receiving food from the male, and her alarm call is chit-it-it-it-it-et-it. The male calls chek-chek-chek, with a more bouncing chuk-uk-uk-uk during his display flight. 
Size
41 - 81 cm
Life Expectancy
7 years
Nest Placement
Ground
Clutch Size
4 - 5 eggs
Incubation Period
1 brood
Number of Broods
28 - 36 days
Nestling Period
14 days
Feeding Habits
Northern Harrier forage in flight, utilizing their hearing to find prey. Their diet varies seasonally; breeding season consists of small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds. In winter, the northern population eats mainly meadow voles and others including mice, shrews, rabbits, and songbirds, while the southern population consumes various rats, mice, shrews, and songbirds. Additionally, northern Harrier may feed on ground squirrels, larks, pipits, shorebirds, waterfowl and galliform young, amphibians, insects, bats, and adult ducks.
Habitat
Northern Harrier thrives in expansive, undisturbed habitats such as wetlands, grasslands, and prairies. These environments typically feature low, dense vegetation conducive to their ground-nesting habits. The species can adapt to various altitudinal zones and climates, breeding across North America in areas like freshwater marshes, brackish environments, meadows, tundra, shrubsteppe, and coastal prairies. In the western regions, northern Harrier prefers drier uplands, while in the northeast and Midwest, wetlands are more commonly used for breeding. Winter habitats are diverse, extending to deserts, sand dunes, pasturelands, and croplands, provided that there is low vegetation for optimal foraging.
Nest Behavior
Northern Harrier chooses their nest site, takes 1-2 weeks to build, and lines it with grasses, sedges, and rushes. Both sexes gather materials, but the female primarily constructs and arranges the nest.
Nest Characteristics
The northern Harrier's ground nest is hidden in dense vegetation such as willows or reeds. It's made from plants like cattails and alders, with grass inner linings. The nest measures 16-24 inches wide, 1.5-8 inches high outside; the interior is 8-10 inches by 2-4 inches deep.
Dite type
Carnivorous
General Info
Behavior
Northern Harrier display a distinct flight pattern as they traverse low over the ground with their wings held in a characteristic V-shape, employing this technique in search of prey. These raptors engage in complex mating displays, including impressive sky-dancing to attract females and establish territory, yet do not defend large expanses, focusing only on nest protection. With a division of labor during breeding, females incubate and rear while males provision. Northern Harrier face threats from various predators and incidental nest destruction by larger animals. Notably, juveniles practice hunting through play, and in colder months, northern Harrier exhibit communal roosting habits, sometimes sharing space with other owl species, with a social hierarchy favoring larger females.
Species Status
This species has a large range, and there is evidence of a population decline, but the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e., declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). It is therefore classified as "least concern".
