Northern Harrier

Published on Oct 28, 2016

Northern Harrier Hawk in classic open marshland habitat near the St. Johns River in Florida. This unique hawk has an owl-like looking face. Also called a Marsh Hawk or Hen Hawk this is a first time species on film for me - this is a migratory hawk just arriving from the north. This is what extreme zoom lenses are for.

The hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) or northern harrier (in the Americas) is a bird of prey. The genus name Circus is derived from Ancient Greek kirkos, meaning "circle", referring to a bird of prey named for its circling flight. The specific cyaneus is Latin, meaning "dark-blue".

It breeds throughout the northern parts of the northern hemisphere in Canada and the northernmost USA, and in northern Eurasia. This species is polytypic, with two subspecies. Marsh hawk is a historical name for the American form.[3] The term "hen harrier" refers to its former habit of preying on free-ranging fowl.[4]

It migrates to more southerly areas in winter. Eurasian birds move to southern Europe and southern temperate Asia, and American breeders to the southernmost USA, Mexico, and Central America. In the mildest regions, such as France, Great Britain, and the southern US, hen harriers may be present all year, but the higher ground is largely deserted in winter.

This is a typical harrier, which hunts on long wings held in a shallow V in its low flight during which the bird closely hugs the contours of the land below it. Northern or hen harriers hunt primarily small mammals, as do most harriers. Preferred prey species can include voles, cotton rats and ground squirrels. Up to 95% of the diet comprises small mammals.[13] However, birds are hunted with some regularity as well, especially by males. Preferred avian prey include passerines of open country (i.e. sparrows, larks, pipits), small shorebirds and the young of waterfowl and galliforms. Supplementing the diet occasionally are amphibians (especially frogs), reptiles and insects (especially orthopterans).[6] The species has been observed to hunt bats if these are available.[14] Larger prey, such as rabbits and adult ducks are taken sometimes and harriers have been known to subdue these by drowning them in water.[6] Harriers hunt by surprising prey while flying low to the ground in open areas, as they drift low over fields and moors.[3][7] The harriers circle an area several times listening and looking for prey.[7] Harriers use hearing regularly to find prey, as they have exceptionally good hearing for diurnal raptors, this being the function of their owl-like facial disc.[6] This harrier tends to be a very vocal bird while it glides over its hunting ground.

In some parts of Europe people believed that seeing a harrier perched on a house was a sign that three people would die; on a happier note, some Native American tribes believe that seeing a hawk on your wedding day is a sign of a long, happy marriage. Unlike many raptors, hen or northern harriers have historically been favorably regarded by farmers because they eat predators of quail eggs and mice that damage crops. Harriers are sometimes called "good hawks" because they pose no threat to poultry as some hawks do. Heavy pesticide use in the 1970s and 1980s caused a decline in harrier populations.

New HD videos uploaded frequently. Subscribe at:
http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=MyBackyardBirding

More info at: http://screech-owls.blogspot.com/

Thumbnail image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Albanella-reale-femmina.jpg

Published on Feb 5, 2013

Here are several beautiful female northern harriers hunting by swooping low and slow over sunny fields and marshes while listening and watching for prey such as voles. The northern harrier is a slender, medium-sized raptor with a long, barred tail, a distinctive white rump, and an owl-like facial disk that is visible at close range. It used to be called the marsh hawk.

Harriers are unusual in that there is a greater difference between male and female plumage than is typical of raptors. Females are brown above with varying degrees of brown and buff streaking below. Males are gray above with an unmarked lighter color below; they also have black wingtips. This video shows only female harriers because I couldn't find any males to film on the day of my visit.

Please visit my beautiful photography website http://www.wildnwbeauty.com and my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/WildNWBeauty for incredible high-resolution photographs of the majestic wild scenery and wildlife of the Pacific Northwest!

Published on Jun 5, 2015

Northern Harriers hunt by flying low over marshes and fields listening and looking for prey below, just as this individual is doing. Identification clues include the white patch on the rump and long wings that are often held in v-shape when they are gliding. ML Video #469369. Recorded by Eric S. Liner. For more harrier videos and sounds, explore the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology visit: http://macaulaylibrary.org For additional identification and life history information visit: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Harrier/id

Published on Apr 22, 2018

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, Huntington Beach, Orange County, California, USA

Published on Oct 22, 2012

watch in 720p

Territoriality, the establishment of spatial boundaries that are aggressively defended against other members of the same species, is the rule among raptors.They do this to protect the resources upon which their lives and the lives of their mates and young depend. They do this to ensure the genetic integrity of their offspring. Different species have different needs and use different standards when establishing territories, but the size of a birds territory is generally determined by the space it feels it needs to defend itself, its mate, and its young (a nesting territory) and the amount of area it needs to hunt successfully (the hunting territory, or home range). Often the two are not the same.

Harriers are rather social by the standards of most raptors, incredibly tolerant of others in their species. In winter, they often roost communally, within yards of each other, and fan out during the day to forage. Even during the breeding season, there is a great deal of overlap in hunting areas, and two or more pairs may work the same patch of marsh or field simultaneously. As such, the area around a nest that the bird will defend against intrusion by another Harrier may be quite small, several hundred square yards.

The advantage inherent in defending a small territory is considerable. The less territory you have, the less time you must allocate to defending it and the more time that can be directed toward other duties--such as hunting. This consolidated defense strategy is one of the factors most often cited to explain polygamy among Harriers. Less time defending and more time hunting means greater opportunity to succeed with multiple mates and young.

Territoriality benefits local populations of a species as well as individuals within a population. The establishment of territories is an effective check against overpopulation. Where adequate nest sites are not a factor and where prey is generally abundant, birds of prey distribute themselves evenly across an area...they spread out. By establishing and defending territories, they ensure that more birds will not move into an area than the area can support.

The Wind Masters..The Lives of North American Birds of Prey

Pete Dunne 1995