The Rough-legged Hawk breeds in the arctic tundra across the Northern Hemisphere. The Canadian population is best monitored by the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) when the birds are on their wintering grounds in southern Canada and the United States. Results from the CBC indicate little overall change in the population relative to about 1970. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
Rough-legged Hawks are specialist predators of small mammals such as voles and lemmings, so population fluctuations are generally attributed to fluctuations in prey populations (Bechard and Swem 2002). Due to their northern and vast distributions, the species has been difficult to monitor (Farmer et al. 2008). They commonly winter in areas of intensive agriculture, but highest densities are in pastures managed for wildlife with appropriate levels of grazing (Bechard and Swem 2002). Shooting and highway collisions are important causes of mortality (Bechard and Swem 2002).
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.