Are Northern Harrier Hawks rare? I’m no birder but have never seen one in my life up until the last few days. This one has taken up residence in the yard and field by our house. I don’t want to mow down field grass where it’s likely nesting if they’re pretty rare.
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looked in the late wife’s bird book and they don’t seem to be to rare, but didn’t really say.. would be fun to watch it!!! been watching some juvenal eagles on the shore ice today…
They’re not rare, used to be called Marsh Hawk. They like big open fields. Cool to see them hovering in place.
Rare or not, It’d be cool to watch the nesting process.
Yeah I’m far from a bird person, but we’ve watched it pick off 7 or 8 field mice just the last couple days. It literally can hold still in the air it seems, and when they fly it’s real low. I’d bet most of the time spent flying is less than 15’ from the ground
Not rare, but wicked cool bird. Cool picture.
If you got that picture, it’s a dandy. Nice job.
I love watching raptors. Lately we’ve seen an uptick in bird-eating raptors here at home so they must be on their northward migration now. The sparrow population has suffered, but not near enough.
Wow, he has some claws on him!
I never knew the name of them but I have seen them a bunch they are sure fun to watch hovering. I didnt know they nested on the ground. I would have thought in a tree.
They’re not rare, used to be called Marsh Hawk. They like big open fields. Cool to see them hovering in place.
Yep- occasionally see them in Iowa while pheasant hunting- often hovering almost motionless over open grassland in big-*** winds!
I love raptors.
That’s an amazing photo!
Awesome birds and GREAT pic! Unique hawk as it has almost owl-like facial discs around the eyes. They’re not rare, you just have to be looking for them. When I was younger, I thought every hawk you saw driving down the road was a Redtailed Hawk. And most were – but once you start looking for unique features your realize the incredible diversity of species around you.
^My daughter who just turned 4 wanted to let her ~6 week old chicks out into the area behind the house for a bit this week. I reminded her about that hawk and then she said “we better get to work on the chicken run”
smart little girl!!!
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