- Lifespan
- 12–15 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 48–61 cm, wingspan 115–140 cm; 600–1,500 g
- Habitat
- Open moorland, grassland, and tundra-like terrain; in the UK typically found in upland regions and coastal marshes during winter.
- UK Distribution
- Winter visitor (October to April), arriving from Arctic breeding grounds in Scandinavia and Russia; occasional summer records but does not breed in the UK.
- Diet
- Carnivorous, hunting small mammals and birds; takes voles, lemmings, mice, and occasionally ptarmigan or other birds.
- Prey
- Voles, lemmings, mice, shrews, ground squirrels, and small birds such as ptarmigan
- Predators
- Golden Eagles, White-tailed Eagles, and Peregrine Falcons may prey on juveniles or weaker individuals
- Mating Season
- April to July (on Arctic breeding grounds)
- Breeding
- Clutch of 2–4 eggs; incubation period 28–31 days; single brood per year; chicks fledge at 35–50 days (breeding occurs outside the UK)
- Behaviour
- Often seen hovering over open ground while hunting, earning it the alternative name 'Rough-legged Buzzard'. Solitary or in pairs; may gather in loose flocks where prey is abundant. Highly dependent on vole and lemming population cycles, which drive winter irruptive migrations southward.