We were very pleased to get close-up photos of this uncommon winter visitor perched by the side of the road. This one is a light morph juvenile based on the pale head with thin dark eyeline, unmarked wing linings, lack of dark border to the trailing edge of the wings, translucent remiges, solid black belly band, and blended dusky tail tip. Note that the National Geographic Guide (2017) incorrectly describes and illustrates the juvenile with a "broad dark subterminal band, sharply and evenly separated from white tail base." North American birds are assigned the subspecies "B. l. sanctijohannis" characterized by smaller size, paler mottled back and more polymorphism. However these characters are minor and the validity of this subspecies has been questioned. Called the Rough-legged Buzzard in the UK, the name "Rough-legged" comes from the fully feathered legs, an adaptation to survival in its high arctic breeding zone.
