Pixley National Wildlife Refuge - Northern Harrier

cr-PNWR - Northern Harrier, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

There were a lot of raptors out in force on today's trip, including the Northern Harrier. The females and juveniles are brown in color with a white rump, while the males are grey.

Unlike the Red Tail Hawk and other hawks who are often seen perching atop fence posts and telephone poles to search for prey, Northern Harriers hunt by flying close to the ground.