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

(Image showing Upper-wing in flight)
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[[Image:Long-legged_Buzzard.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by {{user|Rajiv+Lather|Rajiv Lather}} <br />Rajasthan, [[India]], January 2007]]
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[[Image:Long-legged_Buzzard.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Nominate Subspecies<br />Photo by {{user|Rajiv+Lather|Rajiv Lather}} <br />Rajasthan, [[India]], January 2007]]
 
;[[:Category:Buteo|Buteo]] rufinus
 
;[[:Category:Buteo|Buteo]] rufinus
  
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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.
 
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====
 
====Similar Species====
[[Image:LLB B078086 copy.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Photo by {{user|A.+Meir|A. Meir}}<br />Eilat, [[Israel]], 2007]]
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[[Image:LLB B078086 copy.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Nominate subspecies : under-wing in flight<br />Photo by {{user|A.+Meir|A. Meir}}<br />Eilat, [[Israel]], 2007]]
 
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.  
 
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.  
  
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====Diet====
 
====Diet====
 
Diet mainly 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.
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[[Image:IMG 9112L.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Nominate subspecies juvenile<br />Photo by {{user|Scridifer|Scridifer}}<br />Povelianovo, [[Bulgaria]], February 2017]]
 
====Vocalisation====
 
====Vocalisation====
 
<flashmp3>Buteo rufinus (song).mp3</flashmp3><br />
 
<flashmp3>Buteo rufinus (song).mp3</flashmp3><br />
 
''[[Media:Buteo rufinus (song).mp3|Listen in an external program]]''
 
''[[Media:Buteo rufinus (song).mp3|Listen in an external program]]''
[[Image:IMG 9112L.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Juvenile<br />Photo by {{user|Scridifer|Scridifer}}<br />Povelianovo, [[Bulgaria]], February 2017]]
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==References==
 
==References==
 
#{{Ref-Clements6thAug17}}#Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved March 2016)
 
#{{Ref-Clements6thAug17}}#Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved March 2016)

Revision as of 04:31, 12 March 2018

Nominate Subspecies
Photo by Rajiv Lather
Rajasthan, India, January 2007
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

Nominate subspecies : under-wing in flight
Photo by A. Meir
Eilat, Israel, 2007

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

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

Nominate subspecies : upper-wing in flight
Photo by Alok Tewari
Nazafgarh Wetlands, Gurgaon-Delhi Border, Haryana, India, March-2018

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.

Nominate subspecies juvenile
Photo by Scridifer
Povelianovo, Bulgaria, February 2017

Vocalisation

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

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved March 2016)
  3. Wikipedia
  4. Collins Bird Guide 5th Edition
  5. Paper describing identification features of Long-legged vs Upland Buzzards

Recommended Citation

External Links


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