We have to be very satisfied with the recovering populations of some of our larger bird species, especially some of the raptors. Bald eagle numbers continue to climb, and in Pennsylvania alone we can now find hundreds of nests.

The peregrine falcon, gone from our state and much of the United States, is again nesting here and the population is increasing. Two other fish-eating birds, the osprey and brown pelican, after the 1972 ban on DDT, are now flourishing. However, a few other raptor species are experiencing the opposite. Some of those are the northern harrier, short-eared owl, American kestrel and the barn owl.

Northern harriers, once named marsh hawks, are probably not nesting anywhere in our state. They still breed in marshy areas to our north, some regions of Canada’s tundra, and on grasslands not in cultivation in the Midwest.

They do migrate through our region, and some do overwinter in the Times News coverage area. They are not as common or conspicuous as the red-tailed hawk, but if you keep a wary eye this winter you may find some.

Look for them flying almost butterfly-like across a field or marsh area looking for their primary prey, small rodents. Often, they fly only 30 to 50 feet above a field. Male harriers are a beautiful gray while immatures and females are a chocolate brown coloration.

Short-eared owls, actually rather similar in appearance to the harriers, are certainly less common and may be in more trouble. Other than the Arctic tundra’s snowy owl, they are the most diurnal owl you could find in Pennsylvania. They like the same habitat as the harrier as well as they same food choices. They are basically the “night shift.” I have not seen one in this region since the late 1970s or early ’80s.

Barn owls, one of the farmer’s best friends, are struggling, too. They once nested in at least two areas near Lehighton, but I doubt they nest anywhere near here anymore. I believe their last stronghold is in Amish/Mennonite areas of southeastern Pennsylvania.

The American kestrel is our smallest falcon. I did pen a column about them earlier but just updating the information is not necessarily good. The numbers of breeding kestrels, continues to drop.

Both kestrels and short-eared owl populations are down about 50% percent in the last 20 to 30 years. They too are excellent rodent controllers and prefer feeding in short grass pastures and roadside low vegetation areas. They can be seen balancing on utility lines scanning the ground for voles in all four seasons and large insects during the warmer months. Of the four, they do breed here.

Let’s see if I can detail the common denominator for the problems these four face.

These raptors primarily feed in low vegetation, fallow fields, pastures and/or short grass marshy areas. Our ever-growing need to feed more and more people is requiring more intense farming practices. The ever-increasing population is spreading out into the “country side,” gobbling up more and more habitat they require.

Even though a concerted effort is being made to protect marsh lands, we are losing a little ground each year. With less areas for rodents to feed and hide, there is much less food available to these rather host-specific raptors. Toss in our increasing use of herbicides and pesticides and we are giving them more than they can handle. Hopefully, with increasing awareness of habitat needs we can still be able to see these four in our future.

Test Your Outdoor Knowledge: The kestrel was once named the sparrow hawk, the merlin was once named the _____ hawk. A. kitty, B. duck, C. pigeon, D. ball.

Last Week’s Trivia Answer: The barn owl was long considered a friend to agriculture and never had a bounty placed on them.

Contact Barry Reed at breed71@gmail.com.