Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder for February 21: Northern Harrier
Female Northern Harrier
Northern Harrier
Circus cyaneus
The Northern Harrier is a hawk of grasslands and open country. It is one of about 15 or so species in its genus, Circus, of the taxonomic family Accipitridae, which includes the various eagles, hawks, and kites.
Where to find it: At the mouth of the Housatonic River, one can usually find the Northern Harrier at the Stratford Point Coastal Grassland Conservation Area (1207 Prospect Drive, Stratford) or the Milford Point Coastal Center (1 Milford Point Road, Milford). Also, the nearby Great Meadows Unit of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge in Stratford (between Long Beach and Sikorsky Airport) is another excellent location to observe this magnificent creature.
At the mouth of the Connecticut River, the extensive salt marsh and estuarine marshes of Great Island in Old Lyme typically yield one or two of these birds. Outside of the breeding season, Hammonassett Beach State Park in Madison more often than not hosts one or more Northern Harriers. During migration, this bird may turn up at any large open grassland area such as pastures, hayfields, fallow croplands, emergent freshwater and estuarine marshes, and sand barrens in addition to its more familiar haunts of saltmarshes and coastal backdune scrub.
How to find it: The bird is best searched for by scanning open areas lower than one might expect. These raptors peruse the grasslands at low elevations as opposed to the more familiar broad-winged raptors in the genus Buteo, which often soar high above in concentric circles.
Male Northern Harrier
What it looks like: Northern Harriers have a typical raptor silhouette, but they appear a bit longer, slimmer and more elegant than the broader-winged Buteos, and they can be distinguished from the various falcons by the distinct individual feather projections at the ends of their wings. While hunting, they will hold their wings out in a dihedral position rocking from side to side much like the larger Turkey Vulture. Adult males are variable shades of light bluish gray, with lighter underwings trimmed in black. The adult males are often referred to as “Gray Ghosts” by birders. Adult females have barred tails and wings with brown streaked breasts. Juvenile birds appear similar to the adult female but have finer streaking and an overall rufous hue underneath. A distinctive field mark in all plumages is a white rump patch, which is typically visible from long distances.
What if the bird isn’t there: At this time of year at Milford Point, birders are welcome on both the beach and sandbar on Long Island Sound, and on Smith Point, which extends west along the beach, toward the Housatonic River. The views and the birding are excellent. Follow the signs and please stay off private property. Also note that parts of the McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, on Smith’s Point, are closed
Conservation status: The Northern Harrier is included on Connecticut’s list of Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Species as an “Endangered Species.” According to the state’s Endangered Species Act (Public Act 89-224), an “Endangered Species” is “any native species documented by biological research and inventory to be in danger of extirpation throughout all or a significant portion of its range within the state and to have no more than five occurrences in the state, and any species determined to be an ‘endangered species’ pursuant to the federal Endangered Species Act.”
This week’s Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder was contributed by Anthony Zemba, director of Connecticut Audubon Society’s Conservation Services Department. CAS Conservation Services is an ecological consultancy specializing in flora and fauna surveys, habitat assessments, and a variety of natural resource management and planning services.
Photos by Dan Poncamo (top) and Alan D. Wilson, www.Carolinabirds.org.
