Hawks and eagles
Long-legged Buzzard
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Buteo rufinus
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How to recognize it
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Large, sturdy buzzard; one of the biggest Buteo
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Broad wings, fairly long tail, almost eagle-like silhouette
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Often pale head and breast with rufous belly and legs; variable plumage
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Perches openly on poles or rocks; slow flight with deep wingbeats
About the species
The Long-legged Buzzard looks like a sturdy, broad-winged raptor with a strikingly eagle-like shape in flight. It often sits very upright on an exposed perch, scanning the ground from a high point rather than staying hidden.
It is not very vocal, but when it calls the voice is close to a Common Buzzard’s, only longer and less frequent. It hunts from lookout points and also on the wing, with a slow, steady style that can include a short chase on the ground.
It favors open, dry places — steppe, semi-desert, mountain slopes, and the edges of deserts. Small mammals make up most of its diet, but it also takes reptiles, insects, and carrion in winter; in the north of its range it moves away for the colder season.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Buteo rufinus Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Long-legged buzzard Encyclopedia article