Buteo lagopus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The rough-legged buzzard (Europe) or rough-legged hawk (North America) (Buteo lagopus) is a medium-large bird of prey. It is found in arctic and subarctic regions of North America, Europe, and Asia during the breeding season, and migrates south for the winter. Historically, it was also known as "rough-legged falcon" in such works as John James Audubon's The Birds of America.
Nests are typically located on cliffs, bluffs or in trees. The clutch sizes are variable with food availability, but usually three to five eggs are laid. They hunt over open land, feeding primarily on small mammals, mainly lemmings and voles. Along with the kestrels, kites, and osprey, this is one of the few birds of prey to hover regularly.
This fairly large raptorial species is 46–68 cm (18–27 in) with wingspan ranging from 120 to 153 cm (47 to 60 in). Individuals can weigh from 600 to 1,660 g (1.32 to 3.66 lb) with females typically being larger and heavier than males. Weights appear to increase from summer to winter in adults, going from an average of 822 to 1,027 g (1.812 to 2.264 lb) in males and from 1,080 to 1,278 g (2.381 to 2.818 lb) in females. Among the members of the genus Buteo, it... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 3 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 4 | Katmai National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Hortobágy National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 6 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 7 | Kluane National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 9 | Denali National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 12 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Novosibirsk | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 2 | Kyiv | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 3 | Yekaterinburg | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 4 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Helsinki | 🇫🇮 Finland | |
| 6 | Minsk | 🇧🇾 Belarus | |
| 7 | Seoul | 🇰🇷 South Korea | |
| 8 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Warsaw | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 10 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ecomuseum Zoo | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Calgary Zoo | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Zoopark Limpopo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 4 | Trailside Museum & Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Carolina Raptor Center | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Chouette à voir! | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Ogród Zoologiczny w Katowicach | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 9 | Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society | 🇨🇦 Canada |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rough-legged Hawk sighting in Biebrza National Park on a given day, based on 174 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 132nd most-seen of the 202 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Rough-legged Hawk in Biebrza National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April to October, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rough-legged Hawk sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 13 parks where we can rate Rough-legged Hawk sightings, Biebrza National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rough-legged Hawk is recorded against all the birds logged in Biebrza National Park (174 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
