Difference between revisions of "Long-legged Buzzard" - BirdForum Opus

Revision as of 00:19, 13 January 2017

Photo by Rajiv Lather
Location: Rajasthan, India

Buteo rufinus

Identification

43–62 cm (17-24½ in)
Plumage pattern very variable. Pale morph with an orangey hue to plumage. Red or orange tail, creamy-buff head and underparts, often with a rufous belly patch, and largely white underwings except for the dark carpal patch and narrow dark trailing edge. Dark morph birds are dark brown, less rufous, and also have dark underparts and underwing coverts, but still pale-based primaries and secondaries.

Similar Species

Some birds, particularly immatures, are virtually indistinguishable from Common Buzzards of the eastern subspecies B. b. vulpinus ("Steppe Buzzard"); Long-legged is best distinguished by structure, being larger (nominate subspecies only) and longer-winged, with a more eagle-like profile in flight. Long-winged structure also reminiscent of Rough-legged Buzzard. In the Central Asian part of its range, Upland Buzzard also needs to be considered.

Distribution

Photo by A. Meir
Photographed at Eilat, Israel

Breeds in Europe, Middle East, northern Africa, and Asia to India and Mongolia; winters to Africa south of Sahara. In Europe found in Turkey, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and increasingly in the south of Spain, where it is now breeding in small numbers.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

Two subspecies are accepted^[1]:

B. r. rufinus — southeastern Europe east to central Asia; also wintering south to Pakistan and northwestern India. Larger; 50-62 cm, wingspan 130-155 cm.
B. r. cirtensis — northern Africa to the Arabian Peninsula; a recent colonist in southern Spain. Smaller; 43-50 cm, wingspan 105-125 cm.

Habitat

Open, uncultivated areas, with high bushes, trees, cliffs or hillocks. Steppe, semi-desert.

Behaviour

Diet

Diet mainly small rodents, although it will also take lizards, snakes, small birds and large insects.

Vocalisation

<flashmp3>Buteo rufinus (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program

References

Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved March 2016)
Wikipedia
Collins Bird Guide 5th Edition
Paper describing identification features of Long-legged vs Upland Buzzards

List of references

Recommended Citation

BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Long-legged Buzzard. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 2 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Long-legged_Buzzard

External Links

Search for photos of Long-legged Buzzard in the gallery

Search for videos of Long-legged Buzzard on BirdForum TV

View more images of this species on Orientalbirdimages

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 ==Identification==
 –62 cm (17-24½ in)<br />
-Plumage pattern very variable. Orangey hue to plumage. Red or orange tail, creamy-buff head and largely white underwings.
+Plumage pattern very variable. Pale morph with an orangey hue to plumage. Red or orange tail, creamy-buff head and underparts, often with a rufous belly patch, and largely white underwings except for the dark carpal patch and narrow dark trailing edge. Dark morph birds are dark brown, less rufous, and also have dark underparts and underwing coverts, but still pale-based primaries and secondaries.
 ====Similar Species====
-'''Immature''' birds are virtually indistinguishable from [[Common Buzzard]]. In the Asian part of its range, [[Upland Buzzard]] needs to be considered.
+Some birds, particularly immatures, are virtually indistinguishable from [[Common Buzzard]]s of the eastern subspecies ''B. b. vulpinus'' ("Steppe Buzzard"); Long-legged is best distinguished by structure, being larger (nominate subspecies only) and longer-winged, with a more [[:Category:Aquila|eagle]]-like profile in flight. Long-winged structure also reminiscent of [[Rough-legged Buzzard]]. In the Central Asian part of its range, [[Upland Buzzard]] also needs to be considered.
 ==Distribution==
 [[Image:LLB B078086 copy.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Photo by {{user|A.+Meir|A. Meir}}<br />Photographed at Eilat, [[Israel]]]]
-Breeds in [[Europe]], [[Middle East]], northern [[Africa]], and [[Asia]] to [[India]] and [[Mongolia]]; winters to Africa south of Sahara. In Europe found in [[Turkey]], [[Greece]], [[Romania]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Hungary]] and increasingly through the south of [[Spain]], where it is already breeding in small numbers.
+Breeds in [[Europe]], [[Middle East]], northern [[Africa]], and [[Asia]] to [[India]] and [[Mongolia]]; winters to Africa south of Sahara. In Europe found in [[Turkey]], [[Greece]], [[Romania]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Hungary]] and increasingly in the south of [[Spain]], where it is now breeding in small numbers.
 ==Taxonomy==
 ====Subspecies====
-Two subspecies are recognized<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>:
+Two subspecies are accepted<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>:
-*''B.r. ruffinus'' -- this is the northern subspecies
+*''B. r. rufinus'' — southeastern Europe east to central Asia; also wintering south to Pakistan and northwestern India. Larger; 50-62 cm, wingspan 130-155 cm.
-*''B.r. cirtensis'' -- northern Africa to the [[Arabian Peninsula]].
+*''B. r. cirtensis'' — northern Africa to the [[Arabian Peninsula]]; a recent colonist in southern Spain. Smaller; 43-50 cm, wingspan 105-125 cm.
 ==Habitat==
@@ Line 21: / Line 22: @@
 ==Behaviour==
 ====Diet====
-Diet includes small rodents, although it will also take lizards, snakes, small birds and large insects.
+Diet mainly small rodents, although it will also take lizards, snakes, small birds and large insects.
 ====Vocalisation====
 <flashmp3>Buteo rufinus (song).mp3</flashmp3><br />