Recently perusing the files, I came across some images captured while out on the eastern plains for a day of “raptoring.” I’ve mentioned before, but the plains provide for an amazing variety of birds of prey, far more than we see up here in the hills. These stunning creatures in flight were one of my biggest inspirations for getting into wildlife photography from my earliest days, and still hold a place at the top of my list for subjects to capture images of. As I looked over the images from the day, this week’s “creature feature” came to mind as I worked up a few previously unedited shots of a beautiful female Northern Harrier.

These birds are quite a unique species to have the pleasure of observing in the wild. They are technically in the hawk family, but have a very distinct oval and flattened face, similar to an owl. Like their distant cousin, the shape of the face along with the contour of the stiff feathers help to direct sound to the ears, a necessity when one’s prey is hidden from sight in the dense grasses. They also have a significantly shorter curved beak than most hawks, making them easy to confuse with falcons.

While these birds can be seen perched atop fence posts, this is typically simply a rest, as most of their hunting is done from the air. During a hunt they will glide just over the tops of the tall grass, gazing down not just to see their quarry, but to listen for the squeak or squeal, or even just a rustle in the grass from a rodent. If there is a breeze, they tend to prefer hunting against the wind, as they will catch the wind and hover in place over a potential target area to better hear and pinpoint their prey. This very maneuver is what inspired its namesake in the world of human air combat in the way of the VTOL (Vertical Take-Off/Landing) fighter jet, the Harrier. Once the prey is located, they will dive into the grasses, often resembling a tumbling out of the air, and typically remain on the ground to consume their fresh meal.

Their prey typically consists of mice, voles and smaller birds. This is the usual quarry for most plains raptors, especially with Harriers being on the smaller end of the scale, but occasionally they may attempt something larger. They have been known to go after animals such as rabbits and ducks using another unique technique in that they will sometimes take bigger prey to water to subdue and drown them. Unlike their larger cousins, this selection of prey has held them in high regard with farmers and ranchers, as they help to eliminate smaller pest rodents while being too small themselves to take down a livestock animal like chickens.

Here in Colorado these birds can be seen nearly year-round out on the open grasslands. Our home in the forests of the mountains is not ideal for them, but I have seen migratory Harriers as high up as 12,000 feet or more in the fall. They are taking advantage of the open tundra for a quick bite before continuing on their long journey. The lack of major snow accumulation out on the grasslands is what keeps them here, but if enough snows build up for lengths of time, they will move on to easier hunting grounds.

Identification is relatively easy, being a medium to smaller sized raptor. I have already mentioned the shape of the face, but both males and females also have a white band of feathers at their rump (hidden in this image). Adult males tend to be a grey color, earning them the name “Grey Ghost”, while the females tend to be a more golden brown. The next time you find yourself out on the eastern grasslands, keep your eye out for these amazing and beautiful birds in the early morning or evening. You will certainly be in for an interesting observation of a very one-of-a-kind deadly and beautiful huntress or hunter.

Additional information for this article came from https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_ Harrier/overview#.

For information about James DeWalt Photography, check out https:// jamesdewaltphotography.com.