Rough-legged Hawk Images, Facts and Information:
Buteo lagopus
- Rough-legged Hawks are have bold, patterned plumage in shades of browns and creams, they have long narrow wings and long tails. They have light, intermediate and dark morphs. Males and females have different appearances.
- Rough-legged Hawks have feathered tarsi, one of only two buteos in North American that have feathered legs, the Ferruginous Hawk is the other. Golden Eagles also have feathered tarsi.
- Rough-legged Hawks breed in the Arctic tundra and taiga and winter in southern Canada and the northern U.S. where they can be seen in fields, marshy areas, prairies and deserts.
- They lay 2 to 3 eggs which take about 31 days to hatch. The female does most of the brooding.
- Their diet includes lemmings, small mammals, birds and they do eat carrion.
- Rough-legged Hawks hover and kite searching the ground below for prey.
- They eat about a tenth of their weight per day.
- Rough-legged Hawks are usually silent except for when they are on their breeding grounds.
- Nicknames include “Roughy” and “Roughie”.
- Rough-legged Hawks can live up to 18 years or more.
I hope you enjoy viewing my Rough-legged Hawk photos.
Immature Rough-legged Hawk’s pin point landing on nest box
Title: Immature Rough-legged Hawk’s pin point landing on nest box
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 12/15/2017
Immature Rough-legged Hawk lifting off from a nest box
Title: Immature Rough-legged Hawk lifting off from a nest box
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 12/15/2017
Immature Rough-legged Hawk feaking
Title: Immature Rough-legged Hawk feaking
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 12/15/2017
With inset showing the tongue of the young raptor
Immature Rough-legged Hawk looking at a staring vole
Title: Immature Rough-legged Hawk looking at a staring vole
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 12/15/2017
Light morph immature Rough-legged Hawk landing with prey
Title: Light morph immature Rough-legged Hawk landing with prey
Location: Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Date: 12/15/2017
Male Rough-legged Hawk in flight in front of a cloud
Title: Male Rough-legged Hawk in flight in front of a cloud
Location: Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 11/30/2017
Male Rough-legged Hawk in flight in a clear blue sky
Title: Male Rough-legged Hawk in flight in a clear blue sky
Location: Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 11/30/2017
High Key adult male Rough-legged Hawk in flight
Title: High Key adult male Rough-legged Hawk in flight
Location: Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 11/30/2017
Rough-legged Hawk on a jackrabbit
Title: Rough-legged Hawk on a jackrabbit
Location: Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 2/12/2017
Immature Rough-legged Hawk perched on a snow-covered cliff
Title: Immature Rough-legged Hawk perched on a snow-covered cliff
Location: Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 2/5/2017
Rough-legged Hawk on a lichen covered rock
Title: Rough-legged Hawk on a lichen covered rock
Location: Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 2/5/2017
Rough-legged Hawk on a snow and lichen covered rock
Title: Rough-legged Hawk on a snow and lichen covered rock
Location: Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 2/5/2017
Rough-legged Hawk on a snow-covered hill
Title: Rough-legged Hawk on a snow-covered hill
Location: Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 1/6/2017
Rough-legged Hawk on Parking Area sign
Title: Rough-legged Hawk on Parking Area sign
Location: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 10/26/2016
Rough-legged Hawk on a sign at Bear River MBR
Title: Rough-legged Hawk on a sign at Bear River MBR
Location: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 10/26/2016
Rough-legged Hawk perched on a parking sign
Title: Rough-legged Hawk perched on a parking sign
Location: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 10/26/2016
Rough-legged Hawk on Road Patrol
Title: Rough-legged Hawk on Road Patrol
Location: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 1/12/2016
Light morph Rough-legged Hawk adult male in 2016
Title: Light morph Rough-legged Hawk adult male in 2016
Location: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 1/12/2016
Male Rough-legged Hawk looking down at the marsh
Title: Male Rough-legged Hawk looking down at the marsh
Location: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 11/8/2015
Male Rough-legged Hawk on a gnarly wooden perch
Title: Male Rough-legged Hawk on a gnarly wooden perch
Location: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 11/8/2015