Source and Additional Information

Animal Diversity Web
 
Garrett Good
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Buteo lagopus is usually a solitary species but they occasionally migrate in small groups. Rough-legged hawks typically fly relatively low for birds of their size. They use wing-flapping to reach a preferred altitude, but then usually glide until a perch or a source of food is spotted. They are not known to walk at all, but rough-legged hawks have been spotted scooting down a perch to move closer to a mate or towards food. (Bechard and Swem, 2002)

Home Range

Rough-legged hawks have average territories of 7.3 square kilometers (range 3.6 - 11.8 square km).

These are territorial hawks and generally do not tolerate other nests within 1 km. Rough-legged hawks have been known to share cliff nesting spots with gyrfalcons Falco rusticalus and peregrine falcons Falco peregrinus as well as other rough-legged hawks, but only if the cliff is large and the nests are at least 30 m apart. They will avoid nesting within 60 m of any potential predators of their young, such as golden eagles.

They will defend their nests from any bird that threatens them or their young. (Bechard and Swem, 2002)

Communication and Perception

Source and Additional Information

Animal Diversity Web
 
Garrett Good
Some rights reserved

Rough-legged hawks use sight and vocalizations to communicate with others. They use many calls for communication with other hawks such as a warning call (a high pitch shriek), a courtship call (a low whistle that turns into a hiss), and a "normal" call (a high-pitched whistle into a shriek). Rough-legged hawks are usually silent when away from the breeding site except when in competition with another male or threatened. Males may broadcast 100 calls per minute; much more often than females. (Bechard and Swem, 2002; Terres, 1980)