Tag: Northern harrier

Female Northern Harrier

Although not my best image, this photo gives a good indication of the difference between the female and the male Harrier and shows her owl-like facial features.

On their website at https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Harrier/ So All About Birds states the following:

‘Northern Harriers are the most owl-like of hawks (though they’re not related to owls). They rely on hearing as well as vision to capture prey. The disk-shaped face looks and functions much like an owl’s, with stiff facial feathers helping to direct sound to the ears’.

Note the white strip across the top of the tail as well, it’s a clear indication of an Northern Harrier, both male and female.

The Grey Ghost

Often seen in open grasslands, this raptor, the Northern Harrier, is a local but a very evasive one.

Catching a glimpse of one is difficult enough, but getting a photograph, and especially a closeup, is uncommon; and catching one in flight a true challenge.

This is the male who while in flight has a more ghostly white appearance with a face resembling an owl although they’re not related. The female is a darker brown with more pronounced owl-like features and is somewhat larger.

Keep an eye out for them in grasslands, marshes, or fields in our area, and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed in watching their acrobatics as they glide, tip and swirl, hunting for their prey: small mammals, small birds, rabbits and ducks.

If you know of a great spot to photograph them, let me know in the comments…please! 😁