Are there changes in morphometrics of migratory juvenile Rough-legged Hawks (Buteo lagopus) in north-central North America?

Global rising temperatures due to recent climate change have been linked to long-term reductions in body mass and wing chord in migratory birds, including raptors. The Arctic is experiencing higher temperatures compared to the global mean and such high-latitude increases could influence the morphometrics of the tundra-breeding Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus). Linear regression models showed no statistically significant changes in body mass or wing chords in migratory juvenile male and female Rough-legged Hawks captured and banded across 48 years at Duluth, Minnesota, 1973-2020. Captures of Rough-legged Hawks at our migration stations provided a relatively expedient means by which to monitor possible climate-induced long-term changes in morphometrics of an Arctic species that is difficult to sample in inaccessible tundra settings.