Appearance: The rough-legged hawk is about 19-21″ long and dark brown with white streaks throughout, a dark brown spotted belly, and tails & wings have dark edges. The females are similar but have lighter heads and the belly patch is solid dark brown. There are 2 variations of this bird – a light and a dark.
Winter diet: Small & medium mammals (e.g. voles, rabbits, gophers) and birds.
Winter feeder food: They are not feeder birds.
Winter habitat: Open fields, deserts, and commercial areas with wide open spaces.
Migration: Rough-legged hawks are migrators. In the winter they migrate south into every US state except Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and the southernmost edge of Canada.
Range Map
