Northern harrier

Male northern harrier in flight over golden cattails, with pale grey wings and black wingtips

This is a favourite frame of a male northern harrier, hunting over the cattails.

Low, slow, and silent, the northern harrier glides just above the cattails and tall grass, tilting from side to side as it searches for movement below. Often called the grey ghost, the adult male is pale grey above, while the larger female and the young are warm brown. A harrier flies low and slow over fields and marshes, tilting from side to side as it hunts.

Harriers are easy to recognize by the white patch at the base of the tail and the owl-like facial disc that helps them hunt by sound as well as sight. Adult males are pale grey with black wingtips, which earned them the nickname grey ghost, while females and young birds are warm brown. They nest on the ground in marshes and open fields, and are a common sight over Manitoba wetlands in spring. A white patch at the base of the tail and an owl-like facial disc are the best field marks, and they nest right on the ground in thick grass or marsh vegetation.

Want to learn more about the northern harrier and where it lives? Visit its page at All About Birds.

Field notes in photographs

  • Male northern harrier in flight over golden cattails, with pale grey wings and black wingtips
  • Northern harrier photographed in Manitoba, 1
  • Northern harrier in flight, banded wings and white rump patch showing against a blue sky, Manitoba
  • Male northern harrier hunting low over cattails

Northern harrier Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the northern harrier in Manitoba depends on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Map of Manitoba showing where the northern harrier nests, with major cities and lakes
Where to look for the northern harrier in Manitoba through the seasons: nesting in the Boreal Shield, the Taiga Shield, the Hudson Plains, the Southern Arctic, the Boreal Plains, and the Prairies (gold). Habitat regions: National Ecological Framework for Canada. Boundaries: Statistics Canada. Lakes: Natural Earth.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.

Follow new photos

New work is shared on Facebook and Bluesky first.

Follow on FacebookFollow on Bluesky