YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — It’s that time of the year again, when the rough-legged hawk uniquely arrives in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) while most avian species are leaving.
In a Facebook post this week, YNP announced the hawks’ arrival as many other birds are migrating south for the winter. Rough-legged hawks spend their summers in the Arctic, and their migration south when northern temperatures drop lands some of them at their seasonal home in YNP.
The rough-legged hawk is named for its feathered legs, an evolutionary trait that helps keep them warm in high latitude conditions. They’re also recognizable by the dark “wrist” patches on the underside of their wings.
Rough-legged hawks also frequent the Jackson Hole area south of YNP. It’s estimated that thousands of these birds winter throughout Wyoming, with a couple dozen residing in the valley.
Conservation Director at the Teton Raptor Center Bryan Bedrosian previously told Buckrail that he’s been collaborating with Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) and the GTNP Foundation to track the species in Jackson Hole, which added up to a group of approximately 12 to 15 birds in 2023.
