Northern harrier

Northern harrier
Adult female
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Circus
Species:
C. hudsonius
Binomial name
Circus hudsonius
(Linnaeus, 1766)
  Breeding
  Year-round
  Non-breeding
  Migration
Synonyms

Circus cyaneus hudsonius

The northern harrier (Circus hudsonius), also known as the marsh hawk or ring-tailed hawk, is a bird of prey. It breeds throughout the northern parts of the northern hemisphere in Canada and the northernmost USA.

The northern harrier migrates south in winter, with breeding birds in Canada and northern Great Plains of the U.S. moving to the American south, Mexico, and Central America. In the midwestern, mountain west, and north Atlantic states of the U.S., they may be present all year. This bird inhabits prairies, open areas, and marshes.

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Circus hudsonius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22727740A94959659. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22727740A94959659.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.