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| Jerry Liguori Macaulay Library @Cornell Lab of Ornithology |
Most people think about spring and fall as the time to see different and exciting birds, but what about winter? Here in Wisconsin we have several bird visitors who travel to Wisconsin in winter. Believe it or not, Wisconsin is their Florida. Birds from far north in Canada and from the tundra find Wisconsin winters to be less snowy, less cold and more abundant in food.
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| Jerry Liguori Macaulay Library @ Cornel Lab of Ornithology |
The name “Rough-legged” refers to this bird’s legs, which are feathered all the way down to the tops of its feet. It is believed that this is an adaptation for staying warm in the frigid arctic weather. Feathered legs are not common in the raptor world and are only found in two other North American species, the Ferruginous Hawk and the Golden Eagle.
“Roughies” breed in the open county of the arctic. These are the most northern of all our hawk species and one of the most common arctic raptors. They are circumpolar meaning that they live in the area around one of the earth’s poles, in this case, the North Pole. They nest on cliffs or outcroppings, sometimes incorporating caribou bones into their nests. Roughies are choosy about their neighbors. They will share a cliff with a Gyrfalcon or a Peregrine Falcon, but not another Rough-legged Hawk. In the winter they are found in open country including fields, prairies, and marshes.
This winter visitor often starts showing up in Wisconsin in
November. Here, on their wintering grounds, Roughies search out small rodents,
such as mice, voles and shrews. They
hunt on the wing (flying) and pursue their prey or hover into the wind and drop
down on their prey. It is also common to
see them hunting from a perch on a utility pole, fence post, or from a tiny
little branch at the very edge of a tree.
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| Jerry Liguori Macaulay Library @ Cornell Lab of Ornithology |
These arctic hawks are close in size to our more common and larger Red-tailed Hawk. Their average weight is two pounds and their wingspan is 54 inches. For their size, Rough-leggeds have fairly small feet and beaks; it is believed this is another adaptation for dealing with arctic temperatures. They also have distinct markings making them fairly recognizable. These boldly patterned hawks have a dark brown belly and perfect dark brown squares can be seen at their wing wrist when in flight. Their tail is my favorite part, it looks silvery white with a broad, dark trailing edge. From the top of the tail the dark brown band bleeds into the white which reminds me of the colors on burnt paper. I think they have the most beautiful tail of all the hawks. Take note: these birds can come in multiple color phases or morphs.
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| Jerry Liguori Macaulay Library @ Cornell Lab of Ornithology |
Consider the different shades of brown in human hair. Rough-legged hawks can be seen in both the typical light morph but also a dark morph. I once witnessed a dark morph Rough-legged Hawk that was so dark I thought it was a Common Raven. Upon closer inspection I could see the distinct tail with the dark band at the end, letting me know it was a Rough-legged Hawk.
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| Jerry Liguori Macaulay Library @ Cornell Lab of Ornithology |
I encourage you to take a trip over to a nearby prairie or
field this winter. This stunning winter
visitor will make your chilly trip worth it.
