Observations on the Summer Diet of Rough-Legged Hawks from Alaska

Winter food habits studies of the Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo Zugopus) have shown that microtine rodents and other small mammals constitute the bulk of prey taken by this species. Remains of only four birds were found in the stomach contents of 173 wintering Rough-legged Hawks examined by Henshaw ( 1875), Errington ( 1933) and McAtee ( 1935). Craighead and Craighead ( 1956) reported remains of only four passerine birds among 203 prey identified from pellets of these hawks. This pattern does not seem to TABLE 2. Frequency of visits to nest 2 by adults.