Hen Harrier
Hen HarrierHen HarrierHen HarrierHen Harrier

Hen Harrier

Circus cyaneus

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Celestún Biosphere Reserve
11 Verified sightings at Celestún Biosphere Reserve From 2019 to 2026
12,264 Verified sightings across all 79 parks From 2019 to 2026
November Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 →

Closest Relatives at Celestún Biosphere Reserve

Common Black-Hawk
LC

Common Black-Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteogallus anthracinus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Zone-tailed Hawk
LC

Zone-tailed Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo albonotatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Roadside Hawk
LC

Roadside Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rupornis magnirostris

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Short-tailed Hawk
LC

Short-tailed Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo brachyurus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Great Black-Hawk
LC

Great Black-Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteogallus urubitinga

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Crane Hawk
LC

Crane Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Geranospiza caerulescens

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Gray-lined Hawk
LC

Gray-lined Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo nitidus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Snail Kite
LC

Snail Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rostrhamus sociabilis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
American Swallow-tailed Kite
LC

American Swallow-tailed Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Elanoides forficatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Hook-billed Kite
LC

Hook-billed Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chondrohierax uncinatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Mississippi Kite
LC

Mississippi Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ictinia mississippiensis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
White-tailed Kite
LC

White-tailed Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Elanus leucurus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
2 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
3 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
4 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
5 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~20%
6 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~20%
7 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
8 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
9 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
10 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
11 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
~10%
12 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
13 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
14 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
15 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
16 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
17 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
18 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
19 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
20 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
21 Camargue 🇫🇷 France
<5%
22 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
23 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
24 Namdapha National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
25 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
26 Jaragua National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
<5%
27 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
28 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
29 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
30 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
<5%
31 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
32 Langtang National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
33 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
34 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
<5%
35 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
36 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
37 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
38 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
39 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
40 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
41 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
42 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
43 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
44 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
45 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
46 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
47 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
48 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
49 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
50 Tatra National Park 🇸🇰 Slovakia
Insufficient data
51 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
52 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
53 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
54 Ecrins National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
55 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
56 Cabo Pulmo National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
57 Nikko National Park 🇯🇵 Japan
Insufficient data
58 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
Insufficient data
59 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
60 Khangchendzonga National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
61 Gauja National Park 🇱🇻 Latvia
Insufficient data
62 Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park 🇲🇳 Mongolia
Insufficient data
63 Triglav National Park 🇸🇮 Slovenia
Insufficient data
64 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
65 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
66 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
67 Taroko National Park 🇹🇼 Taiwan
Insufficient data
68 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
69 Vatnajokull National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
Insufficient data
70 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
71 Picos de Europa National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
72 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
73 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
74 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
75 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
76 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
77 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
78 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
79 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Hen Harrier in Celestún Biosphere Reserve?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Hen Harrier sighting in Celestún Biosphere Reserve, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Hen Harrier in Celestún Biosphere Reserve?

November has the highest sighting rate for Hen Harrier in Celestún Biosphere Reserve in our monthly data.

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