Hen Harrier
Hen HarrierHen HarrierHen HarrierHen Harrier

Hen Harrier

Circus cyaneus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
<5% · Rare
overall probability at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
78 Verified records at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
December Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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. Wikipedia →

<5% of wildlife watchers report a Hen Harrier sighting in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, based on 78 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Red-tailed Hawk
LC Endemic

Red-tailed Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo jamaicensis

20–30% · Possible
Red-shouldered Hawk
LC

Red-shouldered Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo lineatus

10–20% · With luck
Golden Eagle
LC Endemic

Golden Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aquila chrysaetos

<5% · Rare
Bald Eagle
LC

Bald Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

<5% · Rare
Sharp-shinned Hawk
LC Endemic

Sharp-shinned Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Accipiter striatus

<5% · Rare
Rough-legged Hawk
LC

Rough-legged Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo lagopus

Insufficient data
Swainson's Hawk
LC

Swainson's Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo swainsoni

<5% · Rare
White-tailed Kite
LC

White-tailed Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Elanus leucurus

Insufficient data
Ferruginous Hawk
LC

Ferruginous Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo regalis

Insufficient data
Turkey Vulture
LC

Turkey Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cathartes aura

20–30% · Possible
Osprey
LC

Osprey

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pandion haliaetus

<5% · Rare
California Condor
CR

California Condor

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gymnogyps californianus

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

5–10
Jan
<5
Feb
<5
Mar
<5
Apr
<5
May
<5
Jun
<5
Jul
<5
Aug
<5
Sep
<5
Oct
5–10
Nov
5–10
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
20–30%
2 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
3 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
4 Gates of the Arctic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
5 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
6 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
10–20%
7 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
8 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
10–20%
9 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
10 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
11 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
10–20%
12 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
13 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
10–20%
14 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
10–20%
15 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
16 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
10–20%
17 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
18 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
19 Tatra National Park 🇸🇰 Slovakia
5–10%
20 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
21 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
5–10%
22 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
5–10%
23 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
5–10%
24 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
25 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
5–10%
26 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
5–10%
27 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
5–10%
28 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
5–10%
29 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
5–10%
30 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
31 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
32 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
33 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
34 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
35 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
36 Hemis National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
37 Namdapha National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
38 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
39 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
40 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
41 Jaragua National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
<5%
42 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
43 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
44 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
45 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
46 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
47 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
<5%
48 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
49 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
50 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
51 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
52 Langtang National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
53 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
54 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
<5%
55 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
56 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
57 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
58 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
59 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
60 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
61 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
62 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
63 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
64 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
65 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
66 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
67 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
68 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
69 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
70 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
71 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
72 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
73 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
74 Nahanni National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
75 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
76 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
77 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
78 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
79 Nikko National Park 🇯🇵 Japan
Insufficient data
80 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
Insufficient data
81 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
82 Khangchendzonga National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
83 Gauja National Park 🇱🇻 Latvia
Insufficient data
84 Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park 🇲🇳 Mongolia
Insufficient data
85 Triglav National Park 🇸🇮 Slovenia
Insufficient data
86 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
87 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
88 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
89 Taroko National Park 🇹🇼 Taiwan
Insufficient data
90 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
91 Vatnajokull National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
Insufficient data
92 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
93 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
94 Picos de Europa National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
95 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
96 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
97 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
98 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
99 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
100 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
101 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Hen Harrier in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks?

About 3% of wildlife watchers report a Hen Harrier sighting in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, based on 78 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Hen Harrier in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks?

December has the highest sighting rate for Hen Harrier in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in our monthly data.

← Back to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks