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Long-legged Buzzard
(Buteo rufinus)
 German name(s): "Adlerbussard"
Size: 50-58 cm; wing span 1.3-1.55 m (race
"rufinus")
43-50 cm; wing span 1.05-1.25 m (race "cirtensis"; N Africa)
Weight: 1.1 kg (avg, male); 1.3 kg (avg; female)
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Similar
species |
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Physical description |
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 Click here for a physical description
Long-legged Buzzards are medium-sized raptors.
Their plumage
comes in 3 different morphologies, dark, rufous and pale.
The commonality between all morphologies is that the underwings
have white, grey-barred flight feathers with prominent black
tips all round, thus creating a prominent dark fringe. They
also all have a prominent black carpal patch.
Dark-morphology birds are otherwise all dark-brown.
Their tail is grey with a black terminal band.
Rufous-morphology Long-legged Buzzards have a rufous front
with a somewhat lighter breast band and rufous underwing
coverts. The tail and undertail coverts are cinnamon to
pale-rufous.
Pale-morphology birds are similar to the rufous morphology,
only the parts that are rufous in the latter are paler yet.
Irises, legs and feet of all morphologies are yellow.
The strongly down-curved bill is yellow with a black tip.
Juveniles
are paler than
adults,
with an off-white, rufous-streaked head, nape of the neck and
front from chest to belly. Only the vent, undertail and trousers
are dark-brown. Their bill is grey with a black tip.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Long-legged
Buzzard at Wikipedia  .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
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The global distribution of the Long-legged Buzzard is available
HERE
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There are 2 recognized races of Long-legged Buzzards,
which are a partly migratory species.
Nominate race "rufinus" has an
extended breeding range, from the Balkans to Mongolia and
India. Birds in Asia Minor and the Middle East are sedentary.
The migratory part of the population overwinters in Africa.
Race "cirtensis", which is sedentary, populates parts of the
Sahara desert, from Mauretania to Egypt in the East, and parts of
the Arabian peninsula.
In Europe, Long-legged Buzzards, nominate race "rufinus", are
breeding migrants to the South-east, from Greece in the South to
Serbia in the North, southward of the river Danube, as far to
the Eastand east as the Black Sea. They are not found in the
Danube delta or along the Adriatic coastline.
Race "cirtensis" has recently been reported to breed in southern
Spain.
During the breeding season Long-legged Buzzards have a preference
for arid steppe to semi-desert and for mountainous terrain.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "rufinus"
We have not seen Long-legged Buzzards, nominate race "rufinus", in Europe yet.
The bird shown below was found by D. Wilczynska on the southern slopes
of the Caucasus in Georgia in June 2018.
All photographic information presented on this page has kindly been
contributed by D. Wilczynska.
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Photos |
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Race "rufinus"
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
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Near-lateral view of a juvenile Long-legged Buzzard; note the
very light-coloured head, neck and chest
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2016]
Lateral view of a juvenile Long-legged Buzzard
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2016]
Lateral view of a juvenile Long-legged Buzzard perched on
a shrub (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2016]
Juvenile Long-legged Buzzard bending low (over its prey?)
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2016]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
