UP IN THE SKY! IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE...NO, IT'S DEFINITELY A BIRD!: THE NORTHERN HARRIER

By James Hall, Staff Biologist - Wildlife Planning Administrator

For many people, the word "Harrier" conjures images of gleaming, vertical-takeoff fighter jets roaring through the sky at nearly the speed of sound. For those of us grounded in a quiet, subsonic life, a Harrier is a very different type of winged predator, and it is best observed through binoculars rather than a NORAD radar, though the sighting may be equally as thrilling.

The Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus), a medium-sized hawk found throughout North America and across the northern latitudes of Eurasia, arrives in Texas during the winter months, coursing over live oak-mesquite savannahs, marshes, and farmlands. Though many diurnal (active in the daytime) raptors can give amateur bird watchers difficulty in identification, Harriers exhibit uniquely distinct features, such as an obvious white rump, and an owl-like facial disc visible from below. Unlike other hawks that rely mostly on sight to search for a meal, Harriers also depend on noise produced from prey, as they glide low over their hunting ground. The facial discs consist of stiff feathers allowing for greater transmission of sound, intensifying their hunting efforts. Following a swift and calculated pounce, prey such as small mammals, birds, and reptiles, will suddenly find themselves in the deadly embrace of talon and feather. Most wintering Harriers visiting central Texas are first-winter juveniles, which more closely resemble adult females. They typically have rust-colored bodies at an earlier age, or streaked chest, barred fan-like tail feathers, and a dark head. Breeding adult males will appear a clean white from underneath, and pale gray from above, with darker wingtips.

Much like their aluminum alloy technological cousins of the sky, Northern Harriers are tactical and auspicious predators. Keep your eyes peeled over open grasslands for a these hawks, coursing but a few feet above the earth -- just don't expect to see them featured at any future air shows.

Northern Harrier