Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus)

Abundance: Very Uncommon; at least 51 Regional records in 12 counties, 4 in Kentucky and 8 in Tennessee, all involving 1–2 individuals) (Map of UCR Distribution); Very Uncommon to Rare or absent during late fall; usually Very Uncommon but occasionally Uncommon during winter; and Very Uncommon to Rare or absent during early spring.

Status: Winter Resident (at least 6 records during late fall; 42 records during winter; and at least 3 records during very early spring, one of which is an extension of a winter record); photographs.

Regional High Count: 2 (several records below).

Information on Records: 

30 December 1957 (1—morph unspecified) Barren County, Kentucky (observer unspecified), CBC record.

31 December 1959 (1—morph unspecified) Barren County, Kentucky (observer unspecified), CBC record.

1 January 1962 (1—morph unspecified) Barren County, Kentucky (observer unspecified), CBC record.

1 January 1965 (1—morph unspecified) Barren County, Kentucky (observer unspecified), CBC record.

31 December 1967 (1—morph unspecified) Barren County, Kentucky (observer unspecified), CBC record.

26 January 1973 (1—morph unspecified) 11.5 km west of Cookeville on I-40, Putnam County, Tennessee (James Holt; Parmer 1973).

Winter 1977–1978 (2—morphs unspecified) Cumberland County, Tennessee (Bierly 1978b).

Winter 1977–1978 (1—morph unspecified) Overton County, Tennessee (Bierly 1978b).

Winter 1977–1978 (1—morph unspecified) Pickett County, Tennessee (observers unspecified [but probably J. David Hassler and Robbie C. Hassler]; Nicholson 1982a); the citation in Nicholson (1982a) is incomplete and may refer to a Rough-leg noted during the winter of 1978–1979; the earlier winter is used in the present record because it was a winter when an irruption of Rough-legs into the Region is known to have occurred.

Winter 1978–1979 (1—morph unspecified) Barren County, Kentucky (Russell Starr; Stamm 1979b).

Winter 1979–1980 (1—morph unspecified) Overton County, Tennessee (Bierly 1980).

Winter 1979–1980 (1—morph unspecified) Smith County, Tennessee (Bierly 1980).

26 January 1980 (1—dark morph) Off Hwy. 39, northern Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.).

18 February 1980 (2—morph unspecified) Cumberland Plateau portion of Fentress County, Tennessee (observers unspecified; Nicholson 1981).

1 March 1980 (1—morph unspecified) Pickett County, Tennessee (observers unspecified [but probably J. David Hassler and Robbie C. Hassler]; Nicholson 1982a).

25 January 1981 (1—morph unspecified) near Bronston, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.).

22 November 1981 (1—morph unspecified) Cumberland County, Kentucky (Russell Starr; Stamm 1982a).

31 December 1983 (1—morph unspecified) Barren County, Kentucky (observer unspecified), CBC record.

31 December 1983 (1—morph unspecified) Pulaski County, Kentucky (observer unspecified [but probably Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.]), CBC record.

29 February 1984 (1—dark morph) WTLO Rd. near Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr. [notes]).

12 January 1986 (1—light morph) Sequatchie Valley, Bledsoe County, Tennessee (Kenneth L. Dubke, Lillian H. Dubke, Angela C. Davis; Dubke and Dubke 1986b).

22 December 1986 (1—morph unspecified) Smith County, Tennessee (Ruth V. McMillan, Melissa A. [Tucker] Turrentine; Stedman 1987c).

29 January 1988 (1—dark morph) Stockton, Fentress County, Tennessee (Robbie C. Hassler; Knight 1988b).

Winter 1987–1988 (1—morph unspecified) Pickett County, Tennessee (Stedman 1988b).

15 December 1991 (1—light morph) near Shipley Farm, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Winston A. Walden; Stedman 1992; Stedman 1993).

18 & 20 December 1991 (1—light morph) 5 km north of Sparta on Rt. 111, White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman et al.; Stedman 1992; Stedman 1993).

1 January 1992 (1—morph unspecified) Barren County, Kentucky (observer unspecified), CBC record.

18 November 1995 (1—light morph) Wayne County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr., Somerset Bird Club members).

23 January 1997 (2—1 light morph and 1 dark morph) Ano strip mines, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

29 January/9 February 1998 (1—light morph) Bledsoe County, Tennessee (Roi Shannon, Debbie Shannon/Kevin A. Calhoon; Knight 1998b).

31 January–24 February 1998 (1—dark morph) Bledsoe County, Tennessee (Daniel Jacobson,  John Henderson; Knight 1998b).

3 January–1 February 1999 (1—light morph) north of Pikeville, Bledsoe County, Tennessee (Ronald D. Hoff, Dolly Ann Myers, Frank L. Bills, Roi Shannon, Debbie Shannon, Kevin A. Calhoon et al.; Knight 1999b).

5 February–9 March 1999 (1—dark morph) north of Pikeville, Bledsoe County, Tennessee (John Henderson, Richard L. Knight, David J. Trently; Knight 1999b).

28 November 1999 (1—light morph) Hwy. 461 near Shopville, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Busroe 2000a).

28 November 1999 (1—morph unspecified) Bledsoe County, Tennessee (Bonnie Johnson; Knight 2000a).

30 November 1999 (1—light morph) 1.6 km west of Pulaski County line, Wayne County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Busroe 2000a).

21 February 2000 (1—light morph) Rt. 461 near Shopville, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Busroe 2000b).

20 December 2000 (2—light morphs)  Wayne County, Kentucky  (Roseanna M. Denton unpubl. data). 

Early December 2000–7 January 2001/5 February 2001 (1–2—dark morphs/1—light morph) Bledsoe County, Tennessee (Bonnie Johnson, Roi Shannon, Debbie Shannon/ Kevin A. Calhoon; Knight 2001c).

17 February 2001 (1—light morph adult) Hackworth Farm, 12 km east of Monterey on Rt. 62, Putnam County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman; Knight 2001c).

10 November 2001 (1—light morph) Wayne County, Kentucky,  (Roseanna M. Denton unpubl. data), bird banded on left tarsus.

12 January/20 January 2002 (2—1 light morph & 1 dark morph) Nine Mile Crossroad, Bledsoe County, Tennessee (Ronald D. Hoff et al./Roi Shannon; Knight 2002b).

11 January 2003 (1—morph unspecified but probably dark) Near intersection Nine Mile Rd. and East Valley Rd., Bledsoe County, Tennessee  (Daniel R. Jacobson, Judy Newsome; Knight 2003b).

3 December 2003 (2 light morphs—1 male & 1 female) Frazer Rd./Frazer Chapel Rd., Wayne County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2004b).

18 December 2003/12/14/28 January 2004 (1—dark morph) Ninemile Rd., Bledsoe County, Tennessee (Roi Shannon/Kevin A. Calhoon, Judy Newsome, Bonnie Johnson,  Hayden Wilson/Gail Clendenon, Steve Clendenon/ Terry J. Witt; Knight 2004b).

30 January 2004 (1—juvenile light morph) Frog Hollow Rd., near Science Hill, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2004b).

17/20 December 2005 (2—1 adult male light morph & 1 juvenile light morph) eastern Wayne County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photos; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2006b/Roseanna M. Denton, Stephen J. Stedman; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2006b).

10 November 2007 (1—light morph adult) Cooley's Pond, Wayne County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton unpubl. data).

22 December 2007 (1—light morph) Ted Davis Rd., Cumberland County, Tennessee (Harry E. LeGrand, Edmund K. LeGrand unpubl. data), a CBC record.

3 March 2009 (1—probable intermediate morph female) Hillendale Rd., Cumberland County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand unpubl. data).

6 & 12 January 2011 (1) Cummins-McWilliams Rd., Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

Out-of-Season Records:

5 October 1974 (1) Barren County, Kentucky (Russell Starr; Kleen 1975), see Remarks.

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Early Fall: 10 November 2001 (1; Wayne Co., Kentucky; Roseanna M. Denton unpubl. data), banded bird; and 10 November 2007 (1; Wayne Co., Kentucky; Roseanna M. Denton unpubl. data).

    Late Spring: 9 March 1999 (1; Bledsoe County, Tennessee; observer unspecified, Knight 1999b).

Habitat: Large, open fields with vegetation 15–30 cm high.  May have specific vegetational preferences Regionally, but these are not apparent from the available data.

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations.

Remarks: No recent major irruption winters of this northern raptor have been noted, the most recent having occurred during the winter of 1977–1978.

    Confusion of dark morph Rough-legged Hawks with intermediate dark morphs and dark morphs of "Western" Red-tailed Hawks (B. j. calurus) and possibly with dark morphs of Harlan's Hawk (B. j. harlani) is probably involved in a small percentage of the sightings listed, excluding those clearly attributable to light morph Rough-legs.

    The sighting that took place 5 October 1974 (1—morph unspecified) in Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky (Kleen 1975), apparently took place during an excellent flight season for Rough-legs to the north of the Region, but this record is still more than a month earlier than the next earliest Regional fall record, so some prudence about it needs to be exercised, thus its inclusion in Out-of-Season Records and its not being used as the early fall arrival record for this raptor. Another Barren County, Kentucky, sighting took place 22 March 1986 (Stamm 1986c) and is considered hypothetical.

    A report of a Rough-leg (morph unspecified) made 3 March 1979 on the Cumberland Plateau portion of Fentress County, Tennessee (Nicholson 1981), has been re-evaluated by one of the observers (A. Boyd Sharp), who now [2 April 2005] believes the record should be deleted.

Counties with Observations (boldfaced):

Literature Cited