I was sure of the species based on its flight pattern and its white rump patch. But to tell if it was male, female or a youngster, I needed to study it more closely. Northern harriers are unusual in the hawk world in that not only are there differences in sizes between males and females, but the sexes have different background colors. The male is an attractive gray on top with lighter shading underneath and has black wing tips. The female is brown above and buffy with brown streaks below.
Immature harriers are similar to females, except they are darker brown above and russet below.
A northern harrier has an unusual feature. This facial disk focuses sounds from the harrier's surroundings. Unlike many other species of hawks, northern harriers frequently use sound cues, like squeaks or squeals, as well as visual prompts, to locate and capture food. Good hawks ate agricultural pests, and bad hawks had a reputation for eating poultry or other livestock. Farmers generally had a favorable impression of northern harriers because of the species' reputation of eating mice and other rodents.