Hen Harrier

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Hen Harrier in Anchorage?

Rare. Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Hen Harrier sighting in Anchorage on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 122nd most-seen of the 138 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Hen Harrier in Anchorage?

Any time of year. In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Hen Harrier in Anchorage on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

Q: What time of day is best to see a Hen Harrier?

Between 10 am and 1 pm. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hen Harrier sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Is Anchorage the best place to see a Hen Harrier?

33rd of 55. Of the 55 cities where we can rate Hen Harrier sightings, Anchorage ranks 33rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Novosibirsk (Russia, about 10%), León (México, about 10%) and Daegu (South Korea, about 10%).

Q: Where does the Hen Harrier sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Hen Harrier is recorded against all the birds logged in Anchorage (23 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

Circus cyaneus

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
FamilyAccipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
GenusCircus (Harriers)
SpeciesCircus cyaneus (Hen Harrier)

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

at Anchorage

In 3 days <5%

23 Verified sightings at Anchorage

14,335 In all 71 parks From 2019 to 2026

September Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the 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. The northern harrier (Circus hudsonius) was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the hen harrier. In 1758 the English naturalist George Edwards included an illustration and a description of the hen harrier in the first volume of his Gleanings of Natural History. He used the English name "The blue hawk". Edwards based his hand-coloured etching on a bird that had been shot near London. When in 1766 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Alarm call0:19

France · 2022

Begging call0:13

Netherlands · 2023

Call0:09

United Kingdom · 2021

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 6 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Padre Island National Seashore	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
2	Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
3	Denali National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
4	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
5	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~20%
6	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~20%
7	Hortobágy National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~20%
8	Katmai National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
9	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	~10%
10	Manas National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
11	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	~10%
12	Kluane National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
13	Wood Buffalo National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
14	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
15	Grand Teton National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
16	Badlands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
17	Yellowstone National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
18	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~10%
19	Biebrza National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	~10%
20	Kaziranga National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
21	Gros Morne National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
22	Cape Breton Highlands National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
23	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
24	Wrangell-St. Elias National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
25	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
26	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
27	Death Valley National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
28	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
29	Camargue	🇫🇷 France	<5%
30	Doñana National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
31	Jaragua National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	<5%
32	Redwood National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
33	Elk Island National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
34	Riding Mountain National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
35	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
36	Chitwan National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	<5%
37	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
38	Guadalupe Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
39	Namdapha National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
40	Isle Royale National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
41	Jasper National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
42	Glacier National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
43	Cévennes National Park	🇫🇷 France	<5%
44	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
45	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
46	Voyageurs National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
47	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
48	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	<5%
49	Banff National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
50	Cairngorms National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	<5%
51	Grand Canyon National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
52	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
53	Białowieża National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	<5%
54	Cumbres de Monterrey National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
55	Monfragüe National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
56	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
57	Picos de Europa National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
58	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
59	Jim Corbett National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
60	Rocky Mountain National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
61	Zion National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
62	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
63	Congaree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
64	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
65	Royal Manas National Park	🇧🇹 Bhutan	<5%
66	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
67	Snowdonia National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	<5%
68	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
69	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
70	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
71	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Novosibirsk	🇷🇺 Russia	~10%
2	León	🇲🇽 México	~10%
3	Daegu	🇰🇷 South Korea	~10%
4	San Francisco	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
5	San Diego	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
6	Beijing	🇨🇳 China	<5%
7	Vancouver	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
8	Mesa	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
9	Los Angeles	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
10	Toluca	🇲🇽 México	<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Birds of prey	🇨🇦 Canada	In captivity
2	Zoológico del Altiplano	🇲🇽 Mexico	In captivity
3	California Raptor Center	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
4	Carolina Raptor Center	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
5	akwarium warszawskiego ZOO	🇵🇱 Poland	In captivity
6	Chouette à voir!	🇨🇦 Canada	In captivity

Closest Relatives at Anchorage

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Accipiter striatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Buteo jamaicensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Pandion haliaetus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Pica hudsonia

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Anas platyrhynchos

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Larus brachyrhynchus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Poecile atricapillus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Branta canadensis

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Mareca americana

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Podiceps grisegena

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Sturnus vulgaris

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Hen Harrier in Anchorage?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Hen Harrier sighting in Anchorage on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 122nd most-seen of the 138 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Hen Harrier in Anchorage?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Hen Harrier in Anchorage on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Hen Harrier?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hen Harrier sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Anchorage the best place to see a Hen Harrier?

33rd of 55

Of the 55 cities where we can rate Hen Harrier sightings, Anchorage ranks 33rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Novosibirsk (Russia, about 10%), León (México, about 10%) and Daegu (South Korea, about 10%).

Where does the Hen Harrier sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Hen Harrier is recorded against all the birds logged in Anchorage (23 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Anchorage

Hen Harrier

About the Hen Harrier

Sounds

Recent sightings of Hen Harrier in Anchorage

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Anchorage

Bald Eagle

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Osprey

Black-billed Magpie

Mallard

Short-billed Gull

Black-capped Chickadee

Canada Goose

American Wigeon

Red-necked Grebe

European Starling

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Hen Harrier in Anchorage?

When is the best time to see a Hen Harrier in Anchorage?

What time of day is best to see a Hen Harrier?

Is Anchorage the best place to see a Hen Harrier?

Where does the Hen Harrier sighting chance come from?