Range. (2000). Plumage variable; light morphs generally pale with dark belly and dark patches on The wings are pale below and dark-edged.

The rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus), also called the rough-legged hawk, is a medium-large bird of prey.It is found in Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America and the Palearctic during the breeding season and migrates south for the winter. Rough-legged Hawk Buteo lagopus Range map Data provided by eBird. A. Alternates powerful flaps with glides. It was traditionally also known as the rough-legged falcon in such works as John James Audubon's The Birds of America. Occurrence. 2 talking about this. Characteristics: Body dark brown above and below, usually shows a lot of white at base of primary feathers; tail pale, dark at end. It feeds on small mammals and some birds. Rough-legged Hawk Buteo lagopus. It feeds on small mammals and some birds. Close Watson 1984, Garrison, B. Rough-legged Hawk populations vary considerably from year to year, following the population cycles of their lemming prey. Click here to return to the species description page .

It nests in the Arctic, mostly in tundra regions north of the boreal forest; in winter, only a few move farther south than the central United States. The wings are pale below and dark-edged. The rough-legged hawks that we see in New England breed in the arctic tundra of North America and migrate southward after breeding season. A. Winter Map from eBird Sightings of the Rough-legged Hawk Nov-Mar over last 10 years Christmas Bird … Distribution and trends in abundance of Rough-legged Hawks wintering in California. Rough-legged Hawk - South Dakota Birds and Birding Rough-legged Hawk Range Map. North Carolina lies at and just south of the regular wintering range of the Rough-legged Hawk, meaning that there are generally one to several winter reports annually. Click here to return to the species description page . Rough-legged Hawks occur in the region throughout the winter in low snowfall years and prefer habitats with little or no snow cover. Breeding season. Rough legged Hawk. This page is focused on Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus) research. Wings (underside): One of the most recognizable identification keys for a light-morph Rough-legged Hawk is the dark "wrist" patch at the bend of the wing that contrasts strongly with both the underside of the wing linings and the flight feathers (see photo above). Close Garrison 1993, Olson, C. V. and D. P. Arsenault. Distribution and trends in abundance of Rough-legged Hawks wintering in California. The Rough-legged Hawk spends the summer capturing lemmings on the arctic tundra, tending a cliffside nest under a sun that never sets. Winter is the time to see this large, open-country hawk in southern Canada and the U.S., where it may be perched on a pole or hovering over a marsh or pasture on the hunt for small rodents. Kickapoo Valley Reserve | S3661 State Highway 131 | La Farge, Wisconsin 54639 Phone: 608-625-2960 | FAX: 608-625-2962 kickapoo.reserve@krm.state.wi.us Journal of Field Ornithology 64:566-574. Rough-legged Hawk: This large hawk has brown upperparts, paler, streaked head, brown-spotted white breast, dark breast band, and fully feathered legs. Rough-legged Hawk populations vary considerably from year to year, following the population cycles of their lemming prey. Rough legged Hawks usually winter in open country such as farmlands, agricultural fields, grasslands, rangelands, marshes, alpine meadows (Campbell et al.