WhenToBird

Circus hudsonius · Accipitridae

When Do Northern Harriers Arrive in Michigan?

Northern Harriers arrive in Michigan in early August, peak in mid April (2.7% of checklists), and most are gone by late May.

When to look

First arrivalsAug 1-7early August
Common byAug 1-7early August
PeakApr 15-21mid April
Most gone byMay 22-31late May

Best: mid April. First arrivals early August; most are gone by late May. Peak: on about 2.7% of Michigan checklists.

  1. Jancommon
  2. Febcommon
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maycommon
  6. Jununcommon
  7. Juluncommon
  8. Augcommon
  9. Seppeak season
  10. Octpeak season
  11. Novpeak season
  12. Deccommon

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

0%1%2%3%Jan 1-7: 2.0% of 38160 checklistsJan 8-14: 2.0% of 24696 checklistsJan 15-21: 2.0% of 23771 checklistsJan 22-31: 1.8% of 31347 checklistsFeb 1-7: 1.8% of 23225 checklistsFeb 8-14: 1.3% of 27398 checklistsFeb 15-21: 1.1% of 36606 checklistsFeb 22-28: 1.5% of 27127 checklistsMar 1-7: 1.7% of 29700 checklistsMar 8-14: 1.7% of 31587 checklistsMar 15-21: 1.9% of 32118 checklistsMar 22-31: 2.1% of 47777 checklistsApr 1-7: 2.5% of 38557 checklistsApr 8-14: 2.7% of 42207 checklistsApr 15-21: 2.8% of 42759 checklistsApr 22-30: 2.6% of 64458 checklistsMay 1-7: 1.7% of 60998 checklistsMay 8-14: 1.2% of 72091 checklistsMay 15-21: 1.3% of 59058 checklistsMay 22-31: 1.0% of 64724 checklistsJun 1-7: 0.8% of 35990 checklistsJun 8-14: 0.7% of 32595 checklistsJun 15-21: 0.6% of 30017 checklistsJun 22-30: 0.6% of 33988 checklistsJul 1-7: 0.5% of 28708 checklistsJul 8-14: 0.5% of 25175 checklistsJul 15-21: 0.6% of 24084 checklistsJul 22-31: 0.6% of 33522 checklistsAug 1-7: 1.0% of 25098 checklistsAug 8-14: 1.3% of 24353 checklistsAug 15-21: 1.6% of 25059 checklistsAug 22-31: 1.7% of 37489 checklistsSep 1-7: 1.2% of 28410 checklistsSep 8-14: 1.7% of 27887 checklistsSep 15-21: 2.4% of 26614 checklistsSep 22-30: 2.2% of 32557 checklistsOct 1-7: 1.9% of 25844 checklistsOct 8-14: 2.3% of 27741 checklistsOct 15-21: 2.2% of 24693 checklistsOct 22-31: 2.2% of 32460 checklistsNov 1-7: 2.2% of 23660 checklistsNov 8-14: 1.7% of 21542 checklistsNov 15-21: 1.6% of 19922 checklistsNov 22-30: 1.6% of 25069 checklistsDec 1-7: 1.9% of 18272 checklistsDec 8-14: 1.9% of 18961 checklistsDec 15-21: 1.6% of 24171 checklistsDec 22-31: 1.7% of 30908 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Michigan that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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Where in Michigan

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Gratiot CountyBest the second week of February · 152 checklists that week, 5,892 in all30%
  2. Huron CountyBest the second week of April · 78 checklists that week, 4,733 in all26%
  3. Saginaw CountyBest the second week of January · 154 checklists that week, 8,573 in all24%
  4. Chippewa CountyBest late April · 1329 checklists that week, 28,128 in all20%
  5. Monroe CountyBest mid January · 259 checklists that week, 22,078 in all19%
  6. Tuscola CountyBest late November · 104 checklists that week, 5,683 in all19%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Fish Point State Wildlife AreaTuscola County, best early December · 25 checklists that week, 998 in all76%
  2. Mud LakeJackson County, best mid October · 55 checklists that week, 1,382 in all73%
  3. Crystal BayouSaginaw County, best the second week of November · 24 checklists that week, 1,554 in all72%
  4. Nayanquing Point State Wildlife AreaBay County, best mid September · 30 checklists that week, 3,152 in all67%

Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.

Best time of day

In Michigan, the Northern Harrier is most often listed on checklists started between 4 and 6 pm (2.2% of those checklists).

0%1%2%3%12 am: too few checklists (712) to judge1 am: too few checklists (592) to judge2 am: too few checklists (532) to judge3 am: too few checklists (516) to judge4 am: too few checklists (1592) to judge5 am: too few checklists (6849) to judge6 am: 1.2% of 39298 checklists7 am: 1.3% of 120344 checklists8 am: 1.3% of 180109 checklists9 am: 1.5% of 171966 checklists10 am: 1.8% of 156332 checklists11 am: 1.7% of 134964 checklists12 pm: 1.7% of 120967 checklists1 pm: 1.8% of 113852 checklists2 pm: 1.7% of 110773 checklists3 pm: 1.9% of 105530 checklists4 pm: 2.3% of 100958 checklists5 pm: 2.0% of 80085 checklists6 pm: 1.4% of 62883 checklists7 pm: 1.1% of 44912 checklists8 pm: too few checklists (21062) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (5920) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (1629) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (775) to judge12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.
Week-by-week table
MonthDays 1-78-1415-2122-end
January2.0%2.0%2.0%1.8%
February1.8%1.3%1.1%1.5%
March1.7%1.7%1.9%2.1%
April2.5%2.7%2.8%2.6%
May1.7%1.2%1.3%1.0%
June0.8%0.7%0.6%0.6%
July0.5%0.5%0.6%0.6%
August1.0%1.3%1.6%1.7%
September1.2%1.7%2.4%2.2%
October1.9%2.3%2.2%2.2%
November2.2%1.7%1.6%1.6%
December1.9%1.9%1.6%1.7%

Neighboring states

  • Ohio: arrives mid September, 6 weeks later than Michigan
  • Indiana: arrives late September, 7 weeks later than Michigan
  • Illinois: arrives mid September, 6 weeks later than Michigan
  • Wisconsin: arrives mid February, 22 weeks earlier than Michigan

Common questions

When do Northern Harriers arrive in Michigan?
Northern Harriers arrive in Michigan in early August, peak in mid April (2.7% of checklists), and most are gone by late May.
When do Northern Harriers leave Michigan?
Most Northern Harriers have left Michigan by late May, when reports fall below half their usual rate.
When is the best time to see a Northern Harrier in Michigan?
The Northern Harrier is reported most often in mid April, on about 2.7% of Michigan checklists.
Where in Michigan are Northern Harriers seen most often?
By county, Gratiot County, Huron County, and Saginaw County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Northern Harrier (counties with at least 200 checklists).