The rough-legged hawk is a circumpolar species that is native to the Northern Hemisphere. They nest in the tundra and taiga regions of Alaska, Canada, Europe and Asia. During the winter they migrate south into central Asia, Europe and the United States. Even though they are the same species they are usually referred to as a rough-legged buzzard in Europe and Asia, as most buteos are called buzzards instead of hawks. Their common name is because they are one of only two species of North American hawks that have feathers that go all the way down to their feet, the other is the ferruginous hawk.