Marsh Hawk

Also known as a harrier hawk or a northern harrier.  Scientific name: circus cyaneus
Size: its body is 16-24 inches long. Its wingspan, though, is 3.5 feet.

The females are larger than the males. Males are pale gray with white streaks and brown bars on the tail. Females are dark brown with white and brown streaking and brown bars on the wings and tail.

Info and where: This bird is an almost extinct breeding bird. It was common at south Willet in 1912. Nesting places are everywhere in the state. But there were many in the southern coastal areas also around San Francisco Bay. The populations are growing slowly in many areas. The breeding is done in states and federal wildlife refuges.. Some places have pairs of wildlife refuges, 5 pairs in R. B. Reno, four pairs in Littlefield, San Luis 15 pairs, Los area 25 pairs, Sacramento one to two pairs, Gray Lodge 10 to 15 pairs. Wintering populations grow a lot larger.  This hawk was a visitor in the lowlands (prairies, valleys, marshes)

FOOD: This hawk is a carnivore.  It eats snakes and salt marsh harvest mouse. It also eats any marsh mice. Marsh Hawk is a marsh predator. Marsh Hawks eat snakes and marsh mice.

by Jamie