A female Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) flies low over winter marsh grass, her long wings held down she floats over the dry landscape. Females are browner than the pale gray male with a a streaked underside and the distinctive white rump patch that flash, as seen here. Built for low, buoyant flight, Northern Harriers rely on both sharp eyesight and acute hearing—enhanced by an owl-like facial disk—to locate small mammals hidden beneath the grass. Against the muted tones of a California winter, her steady, searching glide captures the quiet resilience of a raptor perfectly adapted to the open marsh.
A female Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) flies low over winter marsh grass, her long wings held down she floats over the dry landscape. Females are browner than the pale gray male with a a streaked underside and the distinctive white rump patch that flash, as seen here. Built for low, buoyant flight, Northern Harriers rely on both sharp eyesight and acute hearing—enhanced by an owl-like facial disk—to locate small mammals hidden beneath the grass. Against the muted tones of a California winter, her steady, searching glide captures the quiet resilience of a raptor perfectly adapted to the open marsh.
