{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "northern-harrier",
  "name": "Northern Harrier",
  "scientificName": "Circus hudsonius",
  "category": "Bird",
  "summary": "The northern harrier (Circus hudsonius) is a slim marsh hawk that hunts low over grasslands with owl-like facial discs and a white rump patch. It breeds in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, weighs about 0.35 kg, and is listed Least Concern — though wetland drainage still shrinks nesting marshes.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Aves",
    "order": "Accipitriformes",
    "family": "Accipitridae",
    "genus": "Circus"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 0.35,
    "lengthM": 0.45,
    "topSpeedKmh": 50,
    "lifespanYears": 12
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Circus hudsonius"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Carnivore"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Marshes and open fields"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "10–14 years"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "0.3–0.5 kg"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "up to 50 km/h"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Marshes and grasslands of Canada, the US, and Mexico.",
    "continents": [
      "North America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/northern-harrier/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/northern-harrier/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}