When I cross the High Plains of western Kansas and eastern Colorado during the colder months, I expect to see rough-legged hawks, down from the Arctic to winter on that windswept landscape. While I did see a few today, they were greatly outnumbered by northern harriers.
Though I wasn't counting, I likely observed twenty of those low-altitude hunters, all but two of which were males. After breeding across Alaska, Canada and the northern half of the U.S., these raptors winter throughout Central and Southern latitudes of the U.S. and southward as far as South America.
Identified by their long tail and wings, owl-like face, white rump and habit of flying low over open terrain, northern harriers feed on small mammals and birds; during the warmer months, they also hunt for snakes, lizards and frogs. Males are gray above with black edging on their wings while females are brown in color. Nests are placed on the ground in dense grass or marsh.
