Rough-legged Hawk

The Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus) is a large, elegant raptor of the far north. Breeding in the treeless Arctic tundra, this species migrates south to the open grasslands, pastures, and agricultural fields of southern Canada and the northern United States (as well as northern Eurasia, where it is known as the Rough-legged Buzzard) for the winter.

Its common name refers to its heavily feathered legs—a key thermal adaptation shared with only two other North American raptors: the Golden Eagle and the Ferruginous Hawk. This feature helps insulate the bird against extreme northern climates.

Identifying the Rough-legged Hawk requires familiarity with its two distinct color morphs and its unique flight profile.

Light Morph

• Underparts: Distinctive dark, solid belly band contrasting with a lighter chest.
• Underwings: Pale flight feathers with conspicuous, dark square patches at the wrists (carpal patches).
• Tail: Mostly white at the base, ending in one or more dark subterminal bands.

Dark Morph

• Body: Mostly dark chocolate-brown to soot-black.
• Underwings: Dark wing linings contrast sharply with silver-white flight feathers.
• Tail: Dark with multiple narrow pale bands.

Silhouette & Structural Marks

• Wings: Long, relatively narrow wings for a Buteo, often held in a slight dihedral (V-shape) when soaring.
• Head and Bill: Small head and a noticeably small bill and feet compared to the overall body size.

Similar Species

• Red-tailed Hawk: Lacks the dark wrist patches on the underwing and has a streaked belly band rather than a solid patch. Red-tails also have unfeathered yellow legs.
• Ferruginous Hawk: Much larger, with a clean white tail (no dark band) and distinctive rufous wing-linings and leg feathers on light-morph birds.
• Northern Harrier: Also flies with a dihedral and has a white rump, but is much slimmer with a long tail and a distinct owl-like facial disc.

Rough-legged Hawks are birds of wide-open spaces, avoiding forested areas entirely during both the breeding season and winter.

Breeding Range & Habitat

During the summer, they inhabit the arctic and subarctic regions of North America and Eurasia. They nest on rocky cliffs, bluffs, and steep riverbanks across the open tundra.

Wintering Range & Habitat

In the autumn, they migrate down to the northern and central United States, southern Canada, and temperate Europe and Asia. Here, they look for habitats that mimic their native tundra: native prairies, coastal marshes, flat agricultural fields, shrub-steppe, and even the open grassy expanses around airports.

Hunting and Diet

Rough-legged Hawks are specialized rodent hunters. On their breeding grounds, they rely heavily on lemmings, while their winter diet consists almost exclusively of voles and mice.

They have a highly characteristic hunting style: they frequently hover (or "kite") in place against the wind, scanning the ground below before dropping onto prey. They also hunt from low perches like fence posts and utility poles, but rarely from high treetops.

Voice

These hawks are generally silent during the winter. On their Arctic breeding grounds, they defend their nesting territories with a loud, descending, cat-like mewing cry (kee-eer), similar to but more nasal than a Red-tailed Hawk's call.

Nesting and Reproduction

They build large, bulky nests out of sticks, twigs, and occasionally caribou bones, lining them with grasses, moss, and feathers. Nests are typically placed on cliff ledges or steep dirt banks, but occasionally on the ground or on top of man-made structures.