marsh hawk

American  

noun

1. northern harrier.

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marsh hawk British  

noun

1. another name for marsh harrier

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Etymology

Origin of marsh hawk

An Americanism dating back to 1765–75

Example Sentences

Over the course of the trip we saw many species — ospreys, bald eagles, marsh hawks, great blue herons, ibises, egrets, Wilson’s plovers, a merlin, a wood stork, and numberless gulls and shore birds.

From Washington Post

When I looked up from my papers and gazed through the windows, I saw the marsh hawks hunting low over the gray scrub; I loved the vast, short days.

From The New Yorker

Hawks and owls have been found in convulsions — great horned owls, screech owls, red-shouldered hawks, sparrow hawks, marsh hawks.

From Literature

A marsh hawk could be seen in the mudflats by the river.

From Washington Post

I watched a marsh hawk wheel down behind the barn.

From Literature