rough-legged hawk

3 definitions found

rough-legged hawk - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Rough-legged \Rough"-legged`\, a. (Zool.)
     Having the legs covered with feathers; -- said of a bird.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     rough-legged hawk. (Zool.) See Roughleg.
        [1913 Webster]

  Roughleg \Rough"leg`\, n. (Zool.)
     Any one of several species of large hawks of the genus
     Archibuteo, having the legs feathered to the toes. Called
     also rough-legged hawk, and rough-legged buzzard.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The best known species is Archibuteo lagopus of
           Northern Europe, with its darker American variety
           (Sancti-johannis). The latter is often nearly or
           quite black. The ferruginous roughleg (Archibuteo ferrugineus
           ) inhabits Western North America.
           [1913 Webster]

rough-legged hawk - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  rough-legged hawk
      n 1: large hawk of the northern hemisphere that feeds chiefly on
           small rodents and is beneficial to farmers [syn: rough- legged hawk
           , roughleg, Buteo lagopus]