Photo Share: Northern Harrier

Credit: Doug Racine/USFWS

The Northern Harrier is a long tailed hawk with a white rump patch. It is often seen soaring in a "wobbly" fashion low over marshes, wet meadows, and open fields with wings held out in a shallow "V."

This is the only Michigan hawk that nests on the ground, typically in tall grasses or under shrubs near wetlands. They feed largely on small rodents, particularly meadow voles. Harrier numbers are much reduced for reasons believed related to the destruction of its marsh habitat by humans. They are listed as a species of Special Concern by the Michigan DNR. Northern harriers, once known by the fitting name of "marsh hawk," are found Statewide, but now nest most commonly in the eastern Upper Peninsula. They migrate and winter, further south away from areas that receive heavy snow cover.

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