Rough-legged hawk

Rough-legged hawk photographed in Manitoba

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.

Want to learn more about the rough-legged hawk and where it lives? Visit its page at All About Birds.

Here are some of my favourite frames of this bird.

Field notes in photographs

  • Rough-legged hawk perched on a thin branch against a pale background
  • Rough-legged hawk in flight against a deep blue sky, wings angled and tail fanned
  • Three rough-legged hawks in flight against a blue sky, the top bird carrying prey, Manitoba
  • Light-morph rough-legged hawk in flight over cattails, with pale head, white rump, and fanned wing tips, Manitoba
  • Rough-legged hawk perched in dry grass
  • Rough-legged hawk - northern harrier landing in dry reeds with wings spread

Rough-legged hawk Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the rough-legged hawk in Manitoba depends on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Map of Manitoba showing where the rough-legged hawk nests, migrates, and spends the winter, with major cities and lakes
Where to look for the rough-legged hawk in Manitoba through the seasons: nesting in the Hudson Plains (gold), passing through the Boreal Shield, the Taiga Shield, the Southern Arctic, and the Boreal Plains in spring and fall (lilac), and wintering in the Prairies (blue). Habitat regions: National Ecological Framework for Canada. Boundaries: Statistics Canada. Lakes: Natural Earth.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.

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