Rough-legged Hawk banks to the west after kiting over the prairie in the cold, blustery winter winds. The 2nd image (pano) illustrates well how this hawk acquired its moniker. The name “Rough-legged” refers to the feathered legs. The Rough-legged Hawk, the Ferruginous Hawk, and the Golden Eagle are the only American raptors to have legs feathered all the way to the toes (source: All About Birds), and you can see this in the 2nd image (and pano). These hawks spend the summer in the artic tundra and we welcome this distant visitor to our prairies and grasslands during the winter months.