Photo: Marton Berntsen / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Birds of Prey

Rough-legged Buzzard

Buteo lagopus

Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus) — Birds of Prey of North America.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 19 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Alberta Birds of British Columbia Birds of Manitoba Birds of New Brunswick Birds of Newfoundland and Labrador Birds of Nova Scotia Birds of Northwest Territories Birds of Nunavut Birds of Ontario Birds of Prince Edward Island

By family

Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Alberta Hawks, Eagles & Kites of British Columbia Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Manitoba Hawks, Eagles & Kites of New Brunswick Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Newfoundland and Labrador Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Nova Scotia Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Northwest Territories Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Ontario Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Prince Edward Island

See what's near you right now

The Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus) is a member of the Accipitridae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Adults weigh 950 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Accipitriformes
Family Accipitridae Kites, Hawks, Eagles
Genus Buteo
Species lagopus

Where it lives

Widespread

Quick facts

Weight: 950 g
Diet: Vertebrate hunters
Family: Accipitridae
Order: Accipitriformes
Habitat: Grassland & open country

How to identify

Similar birds

Endangered

Red Goshawk

Erythrotriorchis radiatus

Least Concern

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Rough-legged Buzzard preys mainly on other vertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of open grassland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

The Rough-legged Buzzard is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus) is a member of the Accipitridae family, within the order Accipitriformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Its distribution covers NA, PAL widespread.

It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 950 g, with a wing length of about 42.8 cm and a tail of around 24 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 9.7 million km².

Songs & calls

Rough-legged Buzzard — Alarm call

Recorded by Lars Edenius Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Rough-legged Buzzard?

The Rough-legged Buzzard is a very large bird that weighs around 950 g.

Where does the Rough-legged Buzzard live?

The Rough-legged Buzzard is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America with a range covering NA, PAL widespread, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.

What family does the Rough-legged Buzzard belong to?

The Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus) belongs to the Accipitridae family, in the order Accipitriformes.

What does the Rough-legged Buzzard eat?

The Rough-legged Buzzard preys mainly on other vertebrates.

Does the Rough-legged Buzzard migrate?

The Rough-legged Buzzard is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Rough-legged Buzzard endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Rough-legged Buzzard make?

1 real field recording of the Rough-legged Buzzard — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Rough-legged Buzzard's range?

The Rough-legged Buzzard has a mapped global range of about 9.7 million km².