Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAccipitriformes
- FamilyAccipitridae (Accipítrids)
- GenusCircus (Harriers)
- SpeciesCircus cyaneus (Hen Harrier)
The hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) is a bird of prey. It breeds in open areas such as marshes and grasslands in Eurasia and is migratory, moving further south outside of the breeding season. Birds in milder regions, such as France and Great Britain, may be resident year-round, but the higher altitudes are largely deserted in winter. The species is sexually dimorphic; males are smaller and mostly grey and white with black wingtips, whereas females average larger and are predominantly brown and have buff underparts with brown barring. Both sexes have a white rump patch, although it is more noticeable on females and juveniles. The term "hen harrier" refers to its former habit of preying on free-ranging fowl. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Hen Harrier sighting in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, based on 90 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
Harris' Hawk
Parabuteo unicinctus
Zone-tailed Hawk
Buteo albonotatus
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Accipiter striatus
Red-shouldered Hawk
Buteo lineatus
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
Ferruginous Hawk
Buteo regalis
Broad-winged Hawk
Buteo platypterus
Swainson's Hawk
Buteo swainsoni
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Hen Harrier in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve?
About 11% of wildlife watchers report a Hen Harrier sighting in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, based on 90 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Hen Harrier in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve?
November has the highest sighting rate for Hen Harrier in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve in our monthly data.