Species Spotlight: Rough-legged Hawk
As the snow begins to fly, it is time to watch for Rough-legged Hawks to arrive in east Idaho to winter. Rough-legged Hawks are a buteo, a group of raptors with broad wings ideal for soaring. Along with Trumpeter Swans and Lark Sparrows, they are among just a few bird species that migrate to the region to spend the winter. One of the largest hawks, Rough-legged Hawks are named because of the thick feathers on their legs, believed to protect their legs from the bitter cold temperatures. With their highly developed eyesight, they can see long distances and can spot prey from a perch; they also have the ability to hover over an area like a kestrel, allowing them to hunt from the air.
Rough-legged hawks spend the summer nesting and raising their young above the Arctic Circle where they feed mostly on voles and lemmings. These adept hunters also feed on dead animals or roadkill, where they compete with eagles and ravens. They utilize caribou bones to build their nests and the number of successful offspring is directly proportional to the abundance of prey available during the summer. As the days grow short in the Artic, Rough-legged Hawks migrate to balmier regions, like eastern Idaho. They start showing up here in September and stay until early spring. Raptors are not designed for long migrations because of their broad tails and wide wings and for this reason, they migrate by soaring along mountain ridgelines where updrafts keep them aloft. Because of the geography of the Rockies, those ridgelines lead them here. To them, Idaho is a warm and pleasant place to spend the winter. These birds are susceptible to increasing temperatures and at some point, Idaho may become too warm for them.
East Idaho is rich in hawk species and they can be hard to tell apart. Although identifying them at this time of year will be easier as most of the other hawk species have migrated to warmer climates, but some species stick around. When identifying a Rough-legged Hawk, look for a lighter colored head than a Red-tailed or Swainson’s and a thick black band across their belly, in addition to their feather-covered legs. ... See MoreSee Less
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kate@tetonlandtrust.org2020-11-07 07:56:242020-11-07 07:56:44Teton Regional Land Trust Board President John Nedrow took some convincing, but now he’s a big believer in conservation easements – it saved his family farm
