Rough-legged Hawk
Identification: A long winged buteo with two distinct morphs (light and dark) that hunts the "open" country. The dark morph is a male due to the uniformly dark head and body and the distinct dark tail band. The light morph bird is a male with limited dark mottling on the belly.
Both photographs below were digiscoped from considerable distance in Highland County, Virginia.
Male-Light morph |
Male- Dark morph |
Male- light morph- Highland County, Virginia |
Female/Immature-Light Morph- Highland County,
Virginia |
Below is a light morph male from Highland County, Virginia taken on February 9, 2008.
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Photographs below are of a dark morph bird observed in Highland County, Virginia on January 3, 2009.
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Light phase bird, Highland County, Virginia on February 7, 2009
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