Northern Harrier

Description: 16 -24" A large, long-winged hawk with white rump, often seen gliding low over swamps and brush, male: pale gray head, back and breast, Female and young are brown above, streaked below	Habitat: Fairly common in freshwater marshes, wetlands, sloughs, open grassy fields, prairies. In winter, also found in coastal marshes, often roosting in large groups. Flies very low over the ground using its sense of hearing to locate small animals. Acrobatic and agile in flight.
Nesting: 4 or 5 pale blue to white eggs unmarked or light brown spots, on a clump of dead foliage and grasses in a marsh or shrubby meadow	Range: breeds from Alaska east across Canada south east to Virginia, winters in breeding range and as far south as South America
Voice: usually silent but can whistle kee-kee-kee-kee when at nest	Diet: mostly vertebrates, snakes, voles, insects, carrion

Notes: Spectacular courtship flight consists of a series of U-shaped maneuvers, with a stall at the top of each "U", only "harrier" in North America, hunts by listening for sound of prey, attacks by surprise, roosts on ground except during breeding season

When present in Oklahoma: seen more often in winter all over the state, all but southeast corner of state in summer months