Bird Gallery Index

Northern Harrier image © Wayne Nicholas. Image taken on the Katy Prairie.

Family: (Accipitridae) Hawks and Allies

Preferred Habitat: Open fields and marshes

Seasonal Occurrence: Common fall through spring. Lesser numbers in the summer. Nests in our area.

Notes: The Northern Harrier is a familiar sight in Houston’s rural areas as it flies low over fields in search of rodents. Its white rump is prominent in flight. Adult males are gray; females and immatures are brown with streaked breasts. The Northern Harrier has a better sense of hearing than most hawks. Its face resembles that of an owl, with a facial disk which amplifies sounds. Northern Harriers are also called Marsh Hawks. Their nests are not found in trees but are built on mounds of dead weeds or grass, sometimes in the water.
- Susan Billetdeaux