Harlan's hawk is a large, dark-plumaged buteo that breeds across Alaska and Northwest Canada. Once considered a distinct species, this powerful raptor is now classified as a subspecies of the red-tailed hawk, which ranges across most of North America.
Come autumn, Harlan's hawks head primarily for the Southern Plains, from the base of the Front Range to Arkansas and Texas, though individuals have been observed throughout much of the U.S., especially west of the Mississippi River; fortunately, one of these northern predators has been wintering on or near our Littleton, Colorado, farm over the past few years. His bulky form is often observed on a phone pole or in a large tree, searching the fields and pastures for mice, voles or cottontails. Oblivious of the frigid air and snow, he is an impressive representative of the vast northern wilderness that is his home.
Indeed, one of the benefits of birding is the opportunity to enjoy the seasonal presence of wild creatures that spend the majority of their lives in distant lands. More importantly, we come to appreciate that Earth's varied ecosystems are interdependent and that the welfare of these avian travelers is directly related to the health of those widely spaced ecosystems, some of which are heavily impacted by human activity.
