Rough-legged Hawk

Buteo lagopus

Rough-legged hawks, known in the UK as rough-legged buzzards, are medium-sized birds of prey that breed in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of North America, Europe and Asia, before migrating south once they have raised their young.

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Visual Identification

Appearance

The Rough-legged Hawk is a large raptor with distinctive feathered legs. It displays variable plumage, typically featuring dark brown upperparts and pale underparts with dark belly patches. The tail is white with a dark terminal band.

Like many raptors, two color morphs exist, with the light morph being more common; a white or cream-colored head, breast, and belly with a brownish-black body. Dark morph rough-legged hawks are mostly dark blackish-brown, with pale trailing edges to the underwing and a heavily barred tail.

In both plumage variations, a major feature is the ‘rough legs’, dense feathering that extends down the legs to the toes.

Males are generally lighter in color than females. In flight, this hawk shows dark 'wrist' patches on its pale underwings. Juveniles resemble adults but may have more streaking on the underparts.

Size

Length

46cm to 59cm

Wingspan

120cm to 153cm

Weight

715g to 1.4kg

Colours

Males and females have similar plumage

Primary Colour

Brown White

Secondary Colour

Black

Beak Colour

Black

Leg Colour

Yellow

Habitat and Distribution

Habitats

Woodland

The Rough-legged Hawk is not typically found in Woodland habitats.

Garden

The Rough-legged Hawk is not typically found in Garden habitats.

Wetland

The Rough-legged Hawk is not typically found in Wetland habitats.

Coastal

The Rough-legged Hawk is not typically found in Coastal habitats.

Urban

The Rough-legged Hawk is not typically found in Urban habitats.

Farmland

The Rough-legged Hawk is not typically found in Farmland habitats.

Grassland

The Rough-legged Hawk can be found in Grassland habitats.

Desert

The Rough-legged Hawk is not typically found in Desert habitats.

Tundra

The Rough-legged Hawk can be found in Tundra habitats.

Rainforest

The Rough-legged Hawk is not typically found in Rainforest habitats.

Mountain

The Rough-legged Hawk is not typically found in Mountain habitats.

Savanna

The Rough-legged Hawk is not typically found in Savanna habitats.

Distribution

Rough-legged Hawks breed in Arctic and subarctic regions across North America and Eurasia, favoring open tundra and taiga habitats. They nest on cliffs or rocky outcrops in these northern landscapes.

During winter, they migrate south to temperate regions. In North America, they can be found across the northern United States and southern Canada, frequenting open grasslands, prairies, and agricultural areas.

In the UK, they are scarce and occasional winter visitors when food sources are in particularly short supply further north in Scandinavia. Locations on the east coast of England and northeast Scotland offer the best opportunities for a sighting.

Elevation Range

Sea level to 1,200 meters

Climate zones

Subarctic, Temperate

Distribution Map

This map gives you a rough idea of where you might spot a Rough-legged Hawk. The coloured areas show countries where these birds have been seen.

A few things to keep in mind:

Birds might not be everywhere in the coloured areas, for example, they may be present around the coast of that country
Where birds live can change with seasons and available food
This map is quite simple - it doesn't show exact locations

We're working on making our maps even better! Soon, we hope to show you:

More detailed maps for bigger countries, including state and region
How birds move around during different seasons