| The American rough-legged hawk is a large Buteo (a member of the hawk family), superficially the size and shape of the Red-tailed Hawk. in actual body weight, Rough-legged Hawks weigh only about half as much as Red-tails. Whereas the Red-tail is a general feeder with very large, powerful feet, the Rough-legged Hawk is a specialist. Its feet are very small and it preys upon small rodents in open grassy habitat.
It breeds in the arctic regions, arriving in late November in limited numbers. These interesting hawks have become extremely rare winter residents in recent years due to modern agricultural practices, which allow little grassland to remain unturned over the winter. Fall plowing has caused this species, and many others, to disappear much faster than even worst days of wholesale predator shooting.
Rough-legs exhibit a wider variety of plumage coloration and pattern than any bird I know. Most of the field guides show only two variations: the light and the dark phase. They frequent only extensive, open areas and are easily confused with occasional red-tails out mouse hunting. A good field guide characteristic is the rough-leg's habit of perching in the very tops of isolated trees in open fields which would not support the weight of the red-tail. Most guides note the fact that the rough-legs commonly hover when hunting as an identification aid, but fail to mention that immature red-tails also hover.
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