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Long-legged Buzzard
Buteo rufinus
Identify the Long-legged Buzzard by sound or photo and log your sightings with Birdpass.
The Long-legged Buzzard is a large, sturdy buzzard of south-eastern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. With long wings and legs and an almost eagle-like silhouette, it varies from pale sandy-rufous birds to almost black morphs. It is adaptable and widespread, and has spread westward in the Balkans in recent decades.
Did you know?
- It frequently hovers for long periods while hunting.
- In flight its protruding head and long, broad wings can give it an eagle-like look.
About the species
Identification
A large, long-winged buzzard that gives a long-legged impression. It is often pale with warm rufous tones; the tail is typically plain pale rufous with little barring. The underwing coverts are often rufous and the dark carpal patch strong; the dark trailing edge to the wing emphasises its long wings. At close range the long, bare tarsi separate it from Rough-legged Buzzard, whose legs are feathered.
Family
Accipitridae
Size
Large (crow)
Colours
brown, orange, white, yellow, black
About the habitat
Open, dry country – steppe, semi-desert, rocky hills and mountains and farmland with scattered vantage points.
Diet
Mainly small mammals such as gerbils, ground squirrels, voles and rats, but also reptiles, birds, large insects and carrion.
Behaviour
Perches openly and upright on rocks, pylons and poles or stands on the ground. It flies with slow, deep wingbeats, soars in wide circles with slightly raised wings and often hovers for long periods. It nests on cliffs, rocky outcrops or in trees.
Sources
Photo: Ramazancirakoglu, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Long-legged Buzzard, Sultansazlığı Millî Parkı, Kayseri, Turkey.jpg
Text: Wikipedia (English), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-legged_buzzard
