hen harrier

American  

noun

British.

1. northern harrier.

---

hen harrier British  

noun

1. US and Canadian names: marsh hawk.   marsh harrier.  a common harrier, Circus cyaneus, that flies over fields and marshes and nests in marshes and open land

---

Etymology

Origin of hen harrier

First recorded in 1555–65

Example Sentences

"There's a jay ... That's a bluethroat ... Do you see the hen harrier? We're lucky," the 37-year-old photographer told AFP.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

The bog is an important site for biodiversity and is home to the endangered hen harrier.

From BBC • Jul. 15, 2025

We went for this striking female hen harrier in flight.

From BBC • Dec. 25, 2013

That really annoyed me," Deller says with another smile, "so I thought I would do something with a giant hen harrier taking revenge on man, not Prince Harry necessarily, but man in general.

From The Guardian • Jun. 1, 2013

She at length found her way to the dead hen harrier, as it lay on a slab of flagstone.

From The Pilots of Pomona by Leighton, Robert