***Federal - MBTA***

    Rough-legged Hawks are a large northern hawk closely related to Red-tailed Hawks.  We see them in New York mostly as winter visitors and spring or fall migrants.  Rough-legged Hawks come in two color phases.  The light phase birds have a white head and neck and pale underwings with black patches at the bend.  Dark phase birds are slightly less abundant and are completely dark with white in the wings.  Both forms have a white tail with a dark band at the terminus.  Rough-legs are usually seen in rural areas hovering above the fields looking for food or perched on a tall tree.  Often they perch at the very top, balancing precariously on the slender twigs.  They have long wings and soar with their wings slightly above their head similar to Harriers.