Buteo lagopus
The Rough-legged Hawk nests on cliffside nests in the arctic tundra. They mostly feed on lemmings and voles. There is the possibility of seeing Vole urine like the American Kestrel can. It’s visible to them in ultraviolet. This would give them a big advantage over other raptors in locating areas with high concentrations of vole activity.
This Hawk builds a cliffside nest, which is built out of sticks and other found objects like caribou bones. The nesting hawks require a lot of space: It is rare to find more than one pair nesting closer than half a km from each other. However, for some reason, they will nest within 30 metres of other raptors like Gyrfalcons, Peregrine Falcons, or Common Ravens.
The Rough-Legged Hawk is an iconic raptor species that remains one of the least known hawks that breed in the Arctic region. The extent of its migratory behaviour between its breeding grounds and winter range is relatively unknown. We do know that here on Vancouver Island, they are rarely seen. The funny thing is that they fly south right over us all the time, yet only occasionally will we see them on the ground.