Rough-legged hawk

The rough-legged hawk is a winter visitor, and it is a big bird of the open country. It nests on cliffs in the Arctic tundra and arrives in Manitoba in late fall, sitting on fence posts and power poles and hovering over fields while it searches for voles.

It is named for the feathers that run all the way down its legs, an adaptation for cold climates. Adults are variable, from pale to nearly black, but all have a dark band across the belly and a white tail with a dark band at the end. Most go back north in March and April, so the window to see one in Manitoba is a short one.

Here are some of my favourite frames of this bird.

Photos

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