science education resource

Hawk (Marsh) - Northern Harrier

To view these resources with no ads, please Login or Subscribe to help support our content development.

School subscriptions can access more than 175 downloadable unit bundles in our store for free (a value of $1,500).

District subscriptions provide huge group discounts for their schools. Email for a quote: sheri@exploringnature.org.

Circus cyaneus
Hawk (Marsh) - Northern Harrier

Range

In the winter, they can be found from the southern U.S. to Central America. In the summer, they breed from Alaska, across Canada and down into the northern U.S.

Habitat

They live in fields, prairies and marshes.

Body Traits

They are large hawks that have dark gray backs and wings with a white spotted chest and belly. They can be up to 24 inches tall. One of the ways they can be identified while flying over is that they have a bright white “rump patch” right above their gray tail.

Habits

They hunt by flying low over fields or marshes holding their wings up in a v-shaped pattern. They can hover in one place, but then dive on prey. They use their great hearing to help them find prey.

Diet

They eat small mammals, birds, and frogs.

To view these resources with no ads, please Login or Subscribe to help support our content development.

School subscriptions can access more than 175 downloadable unit bundles in our store for free (a value of $1,500).

District subscriptions provide huge group discounts for their schools. Email for a quote: sheri@exploringnature.org.

Reproduction

Males may breed with many females. The females make a nest in the tall grass, higher up on dry ground. She lays 4-9 pale blue eggs and warms them (incubates) herself. The male will bring her food while she cares for the eggs and then the hatched babies.

Hawk (Marsh) - Northern Harrier

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vetebrata
Class: Aves
Order:  Falconiformes
Family: Accipitridae/Subfamily: Accipitrinae
Genus: Circus
Species: C. cyaneus

Citing Research References

When you research information you must cite the reference. Citing for websites is different from citing from books, magazines and periodicals. The style of citing shown here is from the MLA Style Citations (Modern Language Association).

When citing a WEBSITE the general format is as follows.
Author Last Name, First Name(s). "Title: Subtitle of Part of Web Page, if appropriate." Title: Subtitle: Section of Page if appropriate. Sponsoring/Publishing Agency, If Given. Additional significant descriptive information. Date of Electronic Publication or other Date, such as Last Updated. Day Month Year of access < URL >.

Here is an example of citing this page:

Amsel, Sheri. "Hawk (Marsh) - Northern Harrier" Exploring Nature Educational Resource ©2005-2024. March 25, 2024
< http://exploringnature.org/db/view/Hawk-Marsh-Northern-Harrier >

Exploringnature.org has more than 2,000 illustrated animals. Read about them, color them, label them, learn to draw them.