Buteo lagopus

The rough-legged hawk belongs to the Buteo family of hawks, and it is now arriving in Utah for the winter. It is an interesting hawk in that it is a niche habitat bird of prey. Its counterpart, the Swainson's hawk, occupies the same niche in Utah at a different time of the year.

The rough-legged is a hawk of the North, breeding in the Arctic tundra and taiga regions around the northern hemisphere. It leaves the tundra when snow prevents it from hunting lemmings. In Utah, it feeds on small mammals.

It gets its name from its legs, which have feathering all the way to the toes.

The rough-legged soars on long broad wings that show black marks at the wrists that are often referred to as windows. The tail is white at base with a dark terminal band. It is commonly pale, with a streaked chest and broad dark belly. Its length is 20 inches with a wingspan of 54 inches.

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* BILL FENIMORE is owner of the Layton Wild Bird Center. Visit http://www.wildlife.utah.gov/birdsightings.