Bonanza Bird #6: Northern Harrier

July 15, 2012 in Birds of Prey and Birdorable Bonanza 2012 with 8 comments

Today's new bird in the Birdorable Bonanza 2012 is the Northern Harrier.

In most birds of prey, males and females have similar plumage. The Northern Harrier is an exception to this rule. Males have a mostly grey plumage, while females have a brownish plumage. Northern Harriers have a unique flight style, swooping low over fields and prairies looking for prey items with a butterfly-like flapping pattern.

Northern Harrier by canorus

The tendency to soar low over the ground combined with their unique plumage has earned male Northern Harriers a cute nickname: Grey Ghost.

Sample Northern Harrier t-shirts and gifts

Tomorrow's bird is a South American species of parrot with a raptoresque name. Can you guess what it will be?

Comments

Tough Titmouse on July 15, 2012 at 12:02 PM wrote:

Wow... I personally think the female is prettier... LOL

bluegrosbeak on July 15, 2012 at 12:24 PM wrote:

what does raptoresque mean, i searched all over the web and could not find anything, maybe you can help me

Birdorable on July 15, 2012 at 12:25 PM wrote:

@bluegrosbeak - I just kind of made up that word! It means "raptor-like". :)

laurakeet on July 15, 2012 at 1:25 PM wrote:

that bird stumps me, my best guess is the hoatzin, but that wouldn't be a parrot... although it has similar features as the picture and has similar range. am I correct?

laurakeet on July 15, 2012 at 1:30 PM wrote:

forget what i said before... it isn't an amazon... or a macaw... I don't know what it is!

laurakeet on July 15, 2012 at 1:34 PM wrote:

I got it! A hawk-head parrot!

Louise Warner on March 6, 2017 at 8:22 AM wrote:

hawk-head parrot?

Birder on December 18, 2020 at 8:15 PM wrote:

Red fan parrot

Comments with links or HTML will be deleted. Your comment will be published pending approval.

Your name (required)

Your email address (required)

Your email address will not be published

Comment (required)

I agree to receive updates and news from Birdorable

You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information on how to unsubscribe, our privacy practices, and how we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy, please review our Privacy Policy. By clicking submit below, you consent to allow Birdorable to store and process the personal information submitted above to provide you the content requested.

Puerto Rico Week

Design Spotlight: Birdorable Puerto Rico Birds

March 28, 2025

As a fun way to conclude our special Puerto Rico Week celebration, we’re shining a spotlight on a design that brings together some of the island’s most extraordinary feathered residents. Our Birdorable Puerto Rico design is a colorful, cartoon-style tribute to the endemic...

Bird Term

What is a Brood Patch? Why and When Do Birds Have Them?

October 18, 2018

A brood patch is a bare area of skin that some birds develop during nesting. The bare skin is an adaptation to help with egg incuabation. The patch of featherless skin allows the parent bird to provide extra warmth from his or her own body to the eggs in...

2023 Bonanza Bird #5

The Marvelous Spatuletail: A Tiny Bird with an Impressive Display

December 1, 2023

Our 2023 Birdorable Bonanza continues today with a tiny bird that makes a big impression with its impressive tail. It's the Marvelous Spatuletail! Our newest addition to the Birdorable hummingbird family, this rare, endangered species is native to a small area in northern Peru, where it thrives in the humid montane forest habitat.

New Coloring Pages for Warbler Week

May 27, 2018

New World warblers are famous for their fabulous colors, especially during spring migration when the birds have their fresh breeding plumage. For Warbler Week we've added five new warbler coloring pages to our free downloads collection: Direct link to the coloring pages:

Birdorable Blog