Rough-legged Hawk

The Rough-legged Hawk is a large buteo of the far north, breeding on arctic and subarctic tundra and moving south to spend winters over open fields, marshes, and prairies across much of North America. Its name refers to its legs, which are feathered all the way down to the toes, an adaptation to the cold climate it breeds in.

Plumage is variable, with light and dark morphs, but most light-morph birds show a dark belly band, dark carpal (wrist) patches on the underwing, and a pale tail with a dark terminal band.

Key field marks

• Feathered legs down to the toes
• Dark belly band contrasting with a paler chest (light morph)
• Dark carpal patches at the wrist, visible from below in flight
• Pale tail base with a dark band near the tip
• Frequently hovers on beating wings while hunting, unusual among large buteos

Similar species

Red-tailed Hawk lacks feathered legs and the strong dark carpal patches, and its adult tail is solid red rather than pale with a dark band. Ferruginous Hawk is paler overall with rusty (not dark) leg feathering and lacks the sharp dark belly band and carpal patches.

Habitat

Breeds on open arctic and subarctic tundra, nesting on cliff ledges or rocky outcrops. In winter, occupies open lowland habitats farther south: agricultural fields, prairies, and marshes.

Range

A circumpolar species, breeding across the Arctic regions of North America, Europe, and Asia. North American birds winter across the northern and central United States and southern Canada, with numbers varying year to year in response to lemming population cycles on the breeding grounds.

Behavior

Unusually among large hawks, Rough-legged Hawk frequently hunts by hovering on rapidly beating wings over open ground before dropping onto prey, in addition to hunting from an exposed perch.

Voice

Gives a loud, descending scream on the breeding grounds, generally silent in winter range.

Feeding and nesting

Diet is dominated by small mammals, especially lemmings and voles, with breeding success closely tied to the boom-and-bust population cycles of these prey species. Nests are built on cliff ledges or rocky outcrops on open tundra, constructed of sticks and lined with grass and moss.