On the morning of Saturday, February 10, 2001, Paul Sykes reported that he had discovered an adult male Rough-legged Hawk northeast of Athens near the community of Comer, Madison Co., GA.

Earl Horn and I decided to head over to this area the following morning to see if we could relocate the bird.  As we pulled up to the site, Earl quickly spotted the bird on the top of a telephone pole.  Although the bird had its back to us, it was readily identifiable as a Rough-legged Hawk due to the bold tail pattern and pale head coloration.

As we drove by the hawk to get a different view, it abandoned its perch and headed to the edge of some woods bordering the field it was previously surveying. Earl re-found it perched in a tree, where we were able to study it at length through scopes.  As we were watching it, I decided to sketch the bird and take a few notes (see the last photo, at left) in case we were unable to take any photos.

This particular bird proved quite difficult to photograph, and we were unable to get within a reasonable distance, hence the very poor quality of the other photos.

We watched the bird for over two hours, most of the time as it hunted and soared over the surrounding pastures and fields.  As it hunted, it utilized both hovering and kiting techniques extensively to study the ground for a potential meal.

We noted the following characteristics about this bird:

While perched:

• Size, similar to Red-tailed Hawk; there were a couple of Red-tails, several Turkey Vultures and three Northern Harriers (males and a female) in the area affording convenient size comparison.

• Overall shape was similar to that of a Red-tailed Hawk, with the exception of the head and beak size, and primary length (when compared to tail length).

• Head appeared proportionately small for the body.

• Beak appeared proportionately smaller still for the head.

• Head coloration was a pale buffy white color with fine black streaks and other markings.  Distinctive were the black lores, eyeline and cheeks, which widened and continued along the side of the throat to the side of the breast.  The markings on the face gave the bird a falcon-like resemblance.

• Overall body coloration was generally quite pale, but certain areas were heavily marked with blackish bars, especially on the sides, flanks, and back.  In my notes, I wrote that the back was "blackish with heavy white mottling", but it probably would have been more accurate to describe it as whitish with heavy black, or dark, markings.

• The central portion of the belly did not have the heavy markings of the flanks, with which it contrasted.

• The completely feathered legs were never really visible while the bird was perched; they were obscured by the flank feathers.

• The wings were generally quite dark (especially the primaries), but the secondaries were noticeably edged with a very light color.

• Primary tips at least as long as tail.

• The undertail coverts appeared to be white and generally unmarked.

• The tail possessed a distinctive pattern:  The base of the tail was mostly white, gradually darkening to a dusky band, then a thin blackish band, a dusky band, a slightly wider blackish band, another dusky band, a wide black band, and finally a pale and  somewhat thin terminal band.

In flight:

• Appeared somewhat long-winged and long-tailed.

• Wing shape differed from a Red-tailed Hawk in that the secondaries did not "bulge" towards the middle.

• Underwings were heavily patterned, but most distinctive were the black carpal markings.

• The flight feathers were predominately whitish with dark tips.

• Underwing coverts heavily patterned with whitish and black markings.

• Leading edge of wings were pale.

• Upper tail coverts mostly dark with scattered white markings, contrasting strongly with the white base of the tail.

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