Rough-legged Hawk

Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus)

The Rough-legged Hawk has a number of colouration variations with light and dark morphs (forms), male, female, and immature plumages. The black wrist patches are especially diagnostic as is the dark band at the end of the tail (both seen in photo).

• Large buteo
• Length: 42 cm, Wingspan: 132 cm
• Long, broad, rounded wings
• Dark “wrist patch” on underside of wings’ leading edge
• Wings held in slight dihedral
• Hooked beak
• Broad tail
• Sometimes hovers in flight

Breeds in the arctic tundra from Alaska through Canada and into Europe. It is seen in southern Canada during the winter. Frequently, winter populations will establish themselves on Wolfe Island particularly on the western end of the island where the abundance of open fields and fallow farmland provides a plentiful supply of voles and field mice.

From the same family as the red-tailed hawk (Buteo), the rough-legged has great variety in colouration primarily divided between dark and light versions (morphs). So far this winter a dozen rough-leggeds have been spotted on the island: most are light morphs, with 2 dark morphs also being observed.

On Wolfe Island, rough-leggeds are often seen hunting in the same areas or adjacent to northern harriers (Circus cyaneus). Observers on the island this winter have also seen rough-legged hawks hunting in the same field as a snowy owl (Nyctea scandiaca).