Northern Harrier
Photo: Becky Matsubara from El Sobrante, California · CC BY 2.0

Kites, Old World Vultures, Eagles, and Hawks

Northern Harrier

Circus hudsonius

LCLeast Concern
Family
Kites, Old World Vultures, Eagles, and Hawks (Accipitridae)
Order
Accipitriformes

Overview

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 United States.
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.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Breeds North America; winters to northern South America.

Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.