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Ophelia
Ophelia
is a Northern Harrier (or Marsh Hawk) (Circus cyaneus). She came to us in the summer
of 2005 after she had been found on the ground bleeding from her
wing. After stabilizing her, she was found to have severe damage to
her wing. It is not known what happened but injury by the cutting
blades of a combine or haying machine is suspected. Regardless of the
cause of the injury, the end of her wing required amputation and she
will never be able to fly. When Ophelia came in she was only a
fledgling, just learning how to fly.
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Northern Harriers are very common in the Palouse and
they can be seen from the spring until fall flying low over the rolling
hills. They are considered one of the most agile and acrobatic raptors
in North America. They can be identified when they are flying away from
you by the large white patch of feathers on their rump (just where the
tail meets the lower back). Males can be identified from females and
juveniles as males are gray on the back, white on
their belly, and have black wing tips while females and juveniles are brown on the back and
striped cream with brown on their belly.
Northern Harriers have a facial disk which is a ring of lightly
colored, stiff feathers surrounding their head, like that of like an owl.
The facial disk helps them in hunting by focusing sound emitted
from prey and directing the sound to their ears. They will fly low over the fields
with their head pointed toward the ground. When they hear something,
they hover over the area and then dive down to catch their prey. They eat small mammals, reptiles and amphibians, and small birds.
Northern Harriers nest on the ground in unplowed fields,
or more generally grasslands, which can get them into trouble in the Palouse when the fields
are cut for hay or harvested. They prefer marshlands for hunting and breeding. Northern Harriers are not
endangered species, but their numbers are declining due to loss of
habitat, especially marshlands.
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