Quick identification
Northern harrier (Circus hudsonius)
A slim long-winged raptor that flies low with wings held in a shallow V. Both sexes show a conspicuous white rump.
Season and local range: Cool-season visitor and migrant.
Habitat and island setting
Marsh, grassland, salt flats and open dune swales.
Where to look
Scan north-end flats, bayside marsh and nearby refuge grasslands in fall and winter. Birds may move as tides, wind, fronts, water levels and activity at the site change.
What the bird is doing
Harriers quarter low over vegetation using sight and hearing. Keep to public routes so feeding birds can continue their wide circuits.
Watching birds
Use binoculars or a camera zoom, stay on public paths and leave feeding, resting and nesting birds enough room to continue normal behavior. If a bird stops feeding, stands alert, calls repeatedly or moves away because of you, increase the distance. Check access information in the South Padre Island birding guide before making a special trip.