When asked which bird of prey is my favorite, my answer changes as easily as the wind. It all depends! Each species is unique and appeals to me for several reasons.

One of the coolest birds of prey I have ever had the privilege of working with and using at programs was the northern harrier that lived here at the center.

There are 13 species of harriers, worldwide but the northern harrier is the only harrier in North America.

The northern harrier ranges throughout most of North America. It breeds in the Mid-Atlantic states south to Virginia. They winter throughout the contiguous United States south to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean Islands, and sometimes northern South America.

Formerly known as the “marsh hawk,” the northern harrier inhabits open areas such as tidal marshes, bogs, wetlands, fields, grasslands, meadows, airports and agricultural areas.

I like predictability in nature, and when I head to Cape May during hawk migration with my best friend, Renée, I know I can count on seeing harriers out over the open coastal marshes of New Jersey. They are one of the easiest birds of prey to “ID” because they have a white “rump patch” located above the tail, often fly very low and the wings are held in a slight “V” or dihedral which in simple terms means just at a slight upward angle.

Distinct features

The most striking features of these birds are the owllike facial discs. These discs help them detect prey in tall grass or low-light conditions. Sounds are concentrated by the facial discs and sent to the ears located behind and slightly lower than the eyes.

Most birds of prey hunt by vision but the harriers use both vision and sound to help locate the prey beneath them.

The common name, harrier, is from the Old English word “herigan” which means to harass, disturb, distress or exhaust by repeated demands. Northern harriers fly about 3 to 6 feet off the ground “harrying” their prey. They section off an area and methodically work that area with accuracy and precision. The northern harrier is capable of considerable, sustained, horizontal speed in pursuit of prey.

Adults are sexually dimorphic, which means the males and females look different in both coloration and size. The males are smaller and gray with the underside streaked with rufous markings. The female is larger, brown and the underside has a buffy color.

The underwing of the female is dark brown, and the wingtips are black.

Black wingtips and black edges on the wings are two very noticeable field marks for both males and females. I learned long ago the melanin in the dark part of the feather helps to keep the feathers structurally sound, so they don’t break or wear quickly. This adaptation is incredibly important because their wings are constantly coming in contact with the vegetation they hunt in.

Juvenile northern harriers look remarkably similar to adult females but are usually darker. They have a cinnamon coloration to the underside that is streaked. Males are born with grayish eyes that turn yellow by their first winter. Juvenile females have dark brown eyes that take at least two years to turn yellow.

They are opportunistic, meaning they eat whatever is most abundant or available during the differing seasons. They are known to eat small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects in the warmer months and in the winter, their diets shift to birds and carrion.

Males usually mate with one to two females but may mate with up to five females during the breeding season.

The females choose the nest sites in elevated areas of vegetation such as willows, grasses, sedges, reeds, bulrushes and cattails. Three to five eggs are laid, and incubation begins before the last egg is laid, resulting in the young varying in size. The young fledge in 30- 41 days, then remain near the nest, dependent on their parents for three to four weeks.

Northern harriers are considered a threatened species and run the risk of becoming endangered.

If numbers decrease further, the status changes to a “high level of concern” species. Pennsylvania has lost more than half of the wetlands that were here prior to European settlement.

Although the rate of wetlands loss has diminished significantly in recent decades through legislative protection, these habitats are still threatened by development, pollution, sedimentation and fragmentation. As wetlands disappear, so do northern harriers.

The next time you see me looking through my binoculars with my eyes to the sky, you might want to stop and ask me what I am looking at. I just might be watching a northern harrier.

Jeannie Carl is a naturalist at the Carbon County Environmental Education Center in Summit Hill. The center rehabilitates injured animals and educates the public on a variety of wildlife found in the area. For information on the Carbon County Environmental Center, visit www.carboneec.org.