Northern Harrier? Monterey, CA 14 February 2023 (1 Viewer)

[jmtully]

No photo on this one (I was on a bicycle at the time).

Bird appeared to be the right size, shape, and coloration for a Northern Harrier: Predominantly gray above with very clearly visible white rump. Longish tail. Problem is habitat: saw it in a suburban neighborhood appearing to move towards a tree.

Could it be something else? Or is this safe to call Northern Harrier? (One was logged on eBird about 3.5 miles away on 13 February.)

Thanks in advance for the thoughts.

 

[Butty]

Wrong habitat is a very bad sign for a harrier. Consider an Accipiter - and that you may have noted one or more major features incorrectly (it's completely commonplace to do so in a brief view - size especially).

 

[KenM]

Wrong habitat is a very bad sign for a harrier. Consider an Accipiter - and that you may have noted one or more major features incorrectly (it's completely commonplace to do so in a brief view - size especially).

I had a “displaying” male Marsh Harrier over my abode (Forest edge and suburban gardens) in 2021, got images as well, elevation 200’.

 

[James Jobling]

I had a male Northern Harrier drift across the main road in front of our car in a built-up area near Universal Studios, Orlando, in December 1999.

 

[Sangahyando]

Migrating harriers can turn up over any kind of habitat. But in that scenario, they're usually flying high up. That said, if you saw all the necessary field marks (did it have long wings?), then it'll be a Northern Harrier. If however you're unsure, it might be best to not count the sighting, or leave it as a question mark. Very hard to assess for the rest of us without a picture.

 

[birdmeister]

I agree with Butty. While it could be a harrier, maybe consider Sharp-shinned or Cooper's Hawk. Adults of both species can appear light gray above. In spring, Cooper's especially will flare their white undertail coverts to make a perfect impression of a white "rump". One of the best keys for harrier vs Accipiter is shape and flight style. Harrier has very thin wings that are long and fairly pointed. Their flight is often slow and "floating". Accipiters have shorter, rounder wings, and if they're low to the ground they typically fly straight and with a purpose.

 

[dak]

I think an obvious white rump patch and a grey top has to be a grey ghost, a male Northern Harrier. Coopers are brown overall and smaller with shorter wings, and are usually see in woodlands either perched or zooming through the trees in search of prey.

Is this what you saw? Not a great picture because he was boogying..

 

[rkj]

A suburban neighborhood is surely better for an Accipiter than a Northern Harrier, but if you need to ask the question, I think it is not safe to call it either.

 

[KenM]

Here’s a male Hen Harrier imaged over “downtown” Budapest in July ‘22, admittedly on the high, but lazily drifting over in the heat of the day….birds can turn up anywhere!

 

[jmtully]

Thanks to all for the advice here. I'm going to leave this one un-identified. Too little to go on to be certain about anything.