Northern Harrier Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesNorthern Harrier
Adult male
Medium-sized raptor with long, broad wings, a long tail, and a characteristic white rump patch. Adult males are grayish above with a dark trailing edge on the wings.
© Tom Reed / Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, March 17, 2018Adult female
Often flies with its broad wings held in a "V". Note long tail. Females are pale below withe brown streaking.
© Song Yu / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, March 25, 2020Adult female
Note languid wingbeats with wings raised in a dihedral when gliding. Hunts low to the ground, teetering from side-to-side.
© Jerry Liguori / Macaulay LibraryUtah, December 30, 2012Not all videos have sound
Immature
Immature birds have an unstreaked cinnamon wash on their belly and a darker brown head. Their flight feathers and tail are banded.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, November 03, 2016Adult male
From below adult males are pale with black wingtips and black-tipped secondaries. Often hovers above prey before pouncing.
© Jerry Liguori / Macaulay LibraryUtah, December 05, 2011Adult female
Hunts for small rodents by gliding low over wetlands or open fields. Northern Harriers often flap intermittently and make sharp turns when flying.
© Eric Liner / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, January 20, 2009Not all videos have sound
Immature
Both males and females have a distinctive white rump patch.
© Matt Davis / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, September 30, 2016Immature
Northern Harriers have an owl-like face that helps them detect prey by ear.
© Samuel Denault / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, October 09, 2020Habitat
Found in open areas such as grasslands, marshes, and fields soaring low over the ground.
© Volker Hesse / Macaulay LibraryTexas, April 13, 2017Similar SpeciesRough-legged Hawk
Juvenile light morph
Rough-legged Hawks fly with their wings in a V-shape like harriers, but they don’t quarter low over the ground in the classic harrier style.
© Chris S. Wood / Macaulay LibraryConnecticut, January 28, 2017Similar SpeciesRough-legged Hawk
Adult male light morph
Rough-legged Hawks are larger and heavier-bodied, with shorter tails than Northern Harriers. They also lack the Northern Harrier's owl-like face.
© Daniel Jauvin / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, April 08, 2016Similar SpeciesCooper's Hawk
Adult
Cooper's Hawks have orange barring on the belly, not vertical streaks like female/immature Northern Harriers. They tend to perch in trees within the forest, something harriers don't do.
© Evan Lipton / Macaulay LibraryRhode Island, February 11, 2017Similar SpeciesCooper's Hawk
Juvenile
Juvenile Cooper's Hawks lack the Northern Harrier's owl-like face.
© Geoffrey Groom / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, December 21, 2015Similar SpeciesCooper's Hawk
Adult
Cooper’s Hawks have shorter, rounder wings than Northern Harriers. They tend to live in the forest and don’t dawdle over fields with slow, coursing flight like harriers.
© Alex Lamoreaux / Macaulay LibraryMinnesota, October 10, 2016Similar SpeciesAmerican Goshawk
Adult
American Goshawks hunt with quicker wingbeats than harriers and aren't often found soaring low over fields. Adult goshawks are gray with a strong black-and-white facial pattern, unlike the harrier's owl-like face.
© Lev Frid / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, October 30, 2016Similar SpeciesAmerican Goshawk
Juvenile
American Goshawks lack the Northern Harrier's white rump patch.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryMinnesota, October 21, 2016Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Hawks, Eagles, and Kites(Order: Accipitriformes, Family: Accipitridae)
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