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Bill & Janet Hassell
Grand Junction, CO, United States
Viewed hawk on 12/16/13 on our feeder, evidence of his eating a sparrow. Did not look like the Cooper’s Hawk we have seen before. We thought it might be a Marsh or Harrier Hawk, but that was not on the selection list at our count site. Would like help to identify bird!
Predatory birds
Saw at count site in Grand Junction, CO on 12/16/13. ID'd as Marsh or Harrier Hawk. Feeding at our feeders on sparrows. Couldn't find either Marsh or Harrier when submitting our count, so perhaps we misidentified it. Anyone help?
Your raptor is a Northern Harrier.
The bowl of feathers around the face and the white band across the top of tail are classic northern harrier. Confirmation of wings in hover also help identify it.
I see that there are 2 comments posted, but I’m unable to see what they are, so this may be redundant, but the ‘in flight’ photo is really what helps ID it, A Northern Harrier, aka Marsh Hawk., although it has a rather distinctive face, as well. which you also got a nice “ID photo” of. Nice find!
We have a Northern Harrier for the first time that we know of. This would be east of Durango. Likes to hunt in the pasture. The red chest and white band on the tail are distinctive. We see on or two daily.
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