Rough-legged Hawks Return to North Okanagan Winter Skies

NORTH OKANAGAN – A Rough-legged Hawk was seen Monday afternoon south of Vernon, working hard to hold position above a grassy field, its wings beating rapidly as it faced a shifting headwind.

Known as kiting, it's a signature hunting technique of the Rough-legged Hawk

The behaviour, known as kiting, is a signature hunting technique of the Arctic-breeding hawk. When the wind is strong enough, the bird can hover almost motionless, suspended in place while scanning the ground for movement.

When the breeze drops or swirls, the hawk compensates by flapping to maintain position — a style of flight that, while not unique among raptors, is particularly well developed and often diagnostic of this species in the Okanagan.

Rough-legged Hawks feed mainly on meadow voles, a small field rodent common in the region’s stubble and hay fields. They hunt by sight, often hovering 10 to 20 metres above the ground before dropping suddenly onto their prey.

The species is a regular winter visitor to the North Okanagan, typically arriving in mid-October, peaking in numbers through November and December, and departing by late March.

This week, multiple hawks have been reported along Grandview Flats, Commonage, Otter Lake Road, and the Larkin area, with many showing the same hovering or kiting behaviour.

Seeing a Rough-legged Hawk over local farmland at this time of year is both common and reliable, a sign that the region’s open fields are once again part of the species’ winter hunting range.