Rough-legged Hawks are large, stocky hawks that breed in the arctic and subarctic regions and migrate south for the winter. Identifying them can be tricky, especially among the other common large, brown raptors they share their wintering grounds with. However, with some knowledge of their key identification features, habitat, flight style, and behavior, Rough-legged Hawks can be confidently identified.
Where and When to Look for Rough-legged Hawks
Rough-legged Hawks breed in tundra habitat across northern North America and Eurasia. They migrate south in winter to open habitats like grasslands, marshes, agricultural areas, and coastal habitats. In North America, they winter primarily in southern Canada and the northern United States, especially the Great Plains and Great Lakes regions. The best times to see them are during winter from November to March.
Rough-legged Hawks are diurnal (active during the day) and often hunt by hovering over open ground. Scan for hovering and soaring raptors over open fields, marshes, and coastal habitats during winter days. Focus your search efforts on areas with rodent populations, which are their primary prey.
Distinctive Plumage Patterns
Rough-legged Hawks exhibit plumage variations based on age, morph, and region. However, some features are consistent across all forms:
- Dark belly band – All birds have a dark band across the lower belly
- White tail with dark terminal band – The base of the tail is white with a broad black band at the tip
- White patches at wrist on underwing – The underwings show white at the wrist (“arm pits”) when in flight
Adults have additional distinctive features depending on color morph:
- Light Morph: Light overall coloration with black wrist patches, speckled belly band, and dark patagial bars on the underside of the wings
- Dark Morph: Dark brown overall with fewer markings beneath
- Intermediate Morph: Intermediate between light and dark morphs
Immature birds resemble dark morph adults but have buffy edges to their upperpart feathers. The combination of plumage traits reduces confusion with other species.
Large, Bulky Shape
Rough-legged Hawks have a chunky, bulky shape in flight with broad, rounded wings and a wide, fan-shaped tail. They are our largest “buteos” or soaring hawks. Some key structural features include:
- Long, broad wings
- Relatively short, wide tail
- Chunky body shape
- Small head
Their bulky shape contrasts with the slender, streamlined profiles of falcons. It helps distinguish them from some smaller buteos they share range with like Red-tailed Hawks and Ferruginous Hawks.
Slow, Buoyant Flight Style
Rough-legged Hawks fly with slow, buoyant wingbeats. They frequently soar with wings held in a slight dihedral. Some key flight style characteristics are:
- Slow, lumbering wingbeats
- Frequently soars with dihedral wings
- Often hovers in place while hunting
- Does not fly with the agility of falcons
Watch for broad-winged raptors soaring over open areas on flat, upswept wings. Hawks that move slowly and deliberately are more likely to be Rough-legged Hawks than related birds like Ferruginous Hawks that are slightly more active and aggressive in flight.
Small Feet Do Not Extend Beyond Tail
When seen well, the small feet of Rough-legged Hawks are a helpful clue. Their feet do not extend beyond the tip of the tail in flight. Smaller feet help distinguish them from:
- Red-tailed Hawk – Large feet extend beyond tail
- Ferruginous Hawk – Long legs and large feet extend beyond tail
- Golden Eagle – Large feet project farther beyond tail
The small feet relative to their size help confirm Rough-legged Hawk identity when diagnostic plumage is not clearly visible.
Unique Hover-Hunting Behavior
Rough-legged Hawks are known for their hovering behavior. They frequently stop in mid-air and hover in place while hunting over open habitats like grasslands, marshes, and tundra. Some key aspects of their hover-hunting include:
- Flap wings frequently to stay in place
- Hover 100+ feet off the ground
- Scan the ground below intently
- Plunge down suddenly to catch prey
This hovering behavior is shared only with the White-tailed Kite in North America. If you see a large raptor hovering over an open marsh or field, it’s likely a Rough-legged Hawk.
Habitat
Rough-legged Hawks prefer open habitats like grasslands, marshes, agricultural fields, tundra, and coastal areas. During winter they frequent:
- Large open fields
- Grasslands
- Coastal marshes and beaches
- Agricultural areas
- Arctic and subarctic tundra on breeding grounds
Focus on these open environments when searching for Rough-legged Hawks, especially habitats with abundant rodent populations they prey on.
Range
Rough-legged Hawks have an enormous breeding and wintering range across the northern latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere:
- Breeding: Arctic and subarctic tundra of northern North America and Eurasia
- Wintering: Canada, northern United States, Northern Europe, and Asia
In North America, their winter range includes much of southern Canada and the northern United States, especially the Great Plains and Great Lakes regions.
Diet
Rough-legged Hawks prey mostly on small rodents like voles, lemmings, and ground squirrels. They also take other small mammals, small birds, reptiles, and insects. They hunt primarily by hovering over open country and plunging down on prey.
Identification Tips
Use the following tips to confidently identify Rough-legged Hawks:
- Look for stocky, broad-winged raptors in open habitats in winter
- Watch for the black-banded white tail while in flight
- Check for black wrist patches on the underwing (“arm pits”)
- Note the broad dark belly band in all forms
- Check for hovering and slow, dihedral soaring flight
- Note small feet that don’t extend beyond tail
- Consider the bulky body shape
Similar Species
Rough-legged Hawks share parts of their range with other large, stocky raptors. Key species to differentiate them from include:
Ferruginous Hawk
- Larger with reddish-brown upperparts
- Longer, thinner wings
- Long legs and big feet extend beyond tail
- Less likely to hover while hunting
Red-tailed Hawk
- More common and widespread
- Broad, dark patagial bars on underside of wings
- Reddish tail lacks clear black terminal band
- Does not hover when hunting
Golden Eagle
- Larger with longer, more pointed wings
- Smaller white patches on underwings
- Long broad tail with less white
- Soars with flat wings not dihedral
Northern Harrier
- Long, thin wings and long tail
- White rump patch visible in flight
- Facial disk and owl-like flight
- Floats on flat wings when hunting
Conclusion
Identifying Rough-legged Hawks requires focusing on a suite of plumage features, structural characteristics, flight style, hunting behavior, habitat, and range. With practice, their bulky shape, distinctive underwing patterns, hovering hunting style, dark belly band, and black-banded tail become easier to recognize. Studying Rough-legged Hawks and other raptors takes time and patience, but close observation and knowledge of key traits will lead to more confident identification.