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ROUGH-LEGGED
HAWK
Buteo lagopus
STATUS IN NEW ENGLAND: Rare, but occasionally seen in winter months.
HABITAT: Can tolerate weather above tree line.
FOOD: Lemmings and other rodents, small birds.
Rough-legged Hawks get their name from the dense feathers on their legs, called "booted". They have smaller feet and beaks when compared to Red-tailed Hawks, but have a comparably-sized body. They are long winged and have a highly variable plumage from dark to pale. They are well suited for their home in the Arctic tundra, ranging from Alaska to Newfoundland. They live on lemmings and other small rodents. In the northern regions they nest on the ground. They migrate to Southern Canada and the Northern United States. The oldest recorded age in the wild was 17.09 years.
NOATUK
Noatuk, this impressive, large hawk, arrived at Wind Over Wings from Alaska in 2002, with a lot of help from Delta Airlines. Her name, Noatuk, is after the Alaskan town where she was born. She was found as a little nestling near the Qugii River by a Native American woman who brought the hawk home. Noatuk shared the woman's home, eating a diet exclusively of caribou. Five months later, the hawk's health was deteriorating, and she was brought to the Bird TLC in Anchorage. Hoping that Noatuk was not human-imprinted (identifying with people rather than Rough-legged Hawks), they placed her with a falconer. She was force-fed mice and taught to hunt. But, she wouldn't leave. She wouldn't migrate. The rehabilitation center contacted Wind Over Wings. Permits from the US Fish & Wildlife Service and Connecticut's Department of Environmental Protection were obtained, and she arrived, hungry. She has already accompanied us on several speaking engagements. She is curious, intelligent and magnificent.
The Board of Directors of Wind Over Wings wish to thank Acorn Computing for this web site and
Ken Mulcahy for ongoing updates.
Wind Over Wings
22 Old Road
Clinton, CT 06413
(860) 669-4004
E-mail: windoverwings@comcast.net