{"id":3766,"date":"2011-11-30T15:47:20","date_gmt":"2011-11-30T22:47:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=3766"},"modified":"2025-09-29T10:23:35","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T15:23:35","slug":"a-rough-legged-hawk-preening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/11\/30\/a-rough-legged-hawk-preening\/","title":{"rendered":"Cooperative Rough-legged Hawk Preening"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Rough-leggedPerched Rough-legged Hawk – Nikon D300, f7.1, 1\/400, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

After two winters with very few Rough-legged Hawk photographing opportunities the tide has turned and I’m seeing Rough-legged Hawks in a lot of places and I have had quite a few chances to photograph these handsome raptors.<\/p>\n

Rough-legged Hawks breed in the high Arctic and because they do they are not used to human presence and are a challenge to approach… most of the time.<\/p>\n

Last week though I had the opportunity to photograph a very cooperative Rough-legged Hawk preening.<\/p>\n

I’m not sure the bird above is the same bird in the following images but both were in the same general location.<\/p>\n

Normally I like to post an image then some text content, but in this case I’ll just post the images and their techs.<\/p>\n

Rough-legged Hawks<\/span><\/a> are beautiful and as you will see in these images; they can even look quite comical.<\/p>\n

\"YawningYawning Rough-legged Hawk – Nikon D300, f9, 1\/1600, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Rough-leggedRough-legged Hawk side view –\u00a0 Nikon D300, f9, 1\/1000, ISO 640, +0.7 EV,\u00a0Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 300mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BackwardBackward look from the Rough-legged Hawk – Nikon D300, f9, 1\/1000, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

\"RegalRegal looking Rough-legged Hawk – Nikon D300, f9, 1\/800, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The Funky Chicken Pose – Rough-legged Hawk – Nikon D300, f9, 1\/1000, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

\"SideSide view of a Rough-legged Hawk – Nikon D300, f9, 1\/640, +0.7 EV, 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Rough-leggedRough-legged Hawk – What are you looking at? – Nikon D300, f9, 1\/640, +0.3 EV, Nikon 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Rough-leggedRough-legged Hawk preening with tip of tail in the bill –\u00a0Nikon D300, f8, 1\/1000, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 360mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Rough-leggedRough-legged Hawk looking at its feet –\u00a0Nikon D300, f8, 1\/640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Rough-leggedRough-legged Hawk – This is my best side… –\u00a0Nikon D300, f8, 1\/640, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 360mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

I hope these photos told a story, if they did they are probably better than I could have written.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

To view more of my Rough-legged Hawk photos plus facts and information about this species click here<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last week though I had the opportunity to photograph a very cooperative Rough-legged Hawk preening.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":158481,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[511,1087,26],"tags":[58,5180,2663,3489,4275,2497,1108,7229,4157,4033,4169,2386,4067,2670,4104,4394,4019,153,9551,1648,5769,8917],"class_list":["post-3766","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-rough-legged-hawks","category-utah","tag-antelope-island-sp","tag-back-view","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-buteo","tag-buteo-lagopus","tag-buteos","tag-comical","tag-feet","tag-funny","tag-hawk","tag-hawks","tag-hawks-of-utah","tag-immature","tag-light-morph","tag-perched","tag-post","tag-preening-2","tag-raptors","tag-regal","tag-rough-legged-hawk","tag-side-view","tag-wooden-post"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rough-legged-hawk-preening-mia-mcpherson-1585.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-YK","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4535,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/02\/26\/rough-legged-hawks-is-it-time-to-say-goodbye\/","url_meta":{"origin":3766,"position":0},"title":"Rough-legged Hawks – Is It Time To Say Goodbye?","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 26, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I have had such amazing experiences with Rough-legged Hawks this winter. I've captured them in flight, preening, eating, hovering, kiting, resting and so much more.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Rough-legged Hawk with tail spread while preening, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rough-legged-hawk-preening-mia-mcpherson-1544.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rough-legged-hawk-preening-mia-mcpherson-1544.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rough-legged-hawk-preening-mia-mcpherson-1544.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rough-legged-hawk-preening-mia-mcpherson-1544.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7542,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/02\/17\/rough-legged-hawks-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":3766,"position":1},"title":"Rough-legged Hawks On The Wing","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 17, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"This year hasn't provided me with as many opportunities to photograph Rough-legged Hawks as last winter did and before long these raptors will be heading to the high Arctic to find mates on their breeding grounds.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"High Key Rough-legged Hawk lift off from sign, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rough-legged-hawk-high-key-mia-mcpherson-1661.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rough-legged-hawk-high-key-mia-mcpherson-1661.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rough-legged-hawk-high-key-mia-mcpherson-1661.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17191,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/11\/22\/winter-wanderers-rough-legged-hawks\/","url_meta":{"origin":3766,"position":2},"title":"Winter Wanderers – Rough-legged Hawks","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 22, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I have started seeing Rough-legged Hawks again in northern Utah and that has me excited. I have seen them in Utah County and Davis County but I haven't gotten any quality photos of them yet","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Winter Wanderers \u2013 Rough-legged Hawks, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rough-legged-hawk-preening-mia-mcpherson-1705.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rough-legged-hawk-preening-mia-mcpherson-1705.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rough-legged-hawk-preening-mia-mcpherson-1705.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rough-legged-hawk-preening-mia-mcpherson-1705.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3677,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/11\/13\/rough-legged-hawks\/","url_meta":{"origin":3766,"position":3},"title":"Rough-legged Hawks","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 13, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Eureka! The Rough-legged Hawks are back from their high subarctic and Arctic breeding grounds and they seem to be showing up in larger numbers than I have seen them since I moved to Utah.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Rough-legged Hawk perched on a large Tintic Quartzite boulder, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rough-legged-hawk-mia-mcpherson-7996.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rough-legged-hawk-mia-mcpherson-7996.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rough-legged-hawk-mia-mcpherson-7996.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rough-legged-hawk-mia-mcpherson-7996.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3699,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/11\/20\/more-rough-legged-hawks\/","url_meta":{"origin":3766,"position":4},"title":"More Rough-legged Hawks","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 20, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"I have been very pleased to add so many images of Rough-legged Hawks to my portfolio in just the past week and hopefully these Roughies will stick around until late February of next year so there will be many more opportunities.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Rough-legged Hawk in flight with the Stansbury Mountains in the background, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rough-legged-hawk-stansbury-mountains-mia-mcpherson-0201.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rough-legged-hawk-stansbury-mountains-mia-mcpherson-0201.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rough-legged-hawk-stansbury-mountains-mia-mcpherson-0201.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rough-legged-hawk-stansbury-mountains-mia-mcpherson-0201.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6340,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/10\/13\/appearing-soon-rough-legged-hawks\/","url_meta":{"origin":3766,"position":5},"title":"Appearing Soon – Rough-legged Hawks","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 13, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Last winter was awesome for seeing Rough-legged Hawks and I am hoping they had another great breeding season and that they will show up here in large numbers to over winter.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Roughie perched on a mile marker post on the causeway to Antelope Island State Park, Utah. 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