Augur Buzzard
| Augur Buzzard | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Augur Buzzard in take-off, Tanzania |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Buteo augur | ||||||||||||
| ( Rüppell , 1836) |
The augur buzzard ( Buteo augur ) is a species of bird from the family of Accipitridae . It is in the extreme north of South Africa , in the middle and northwest of Namibia (especially the Khomashochland , Erongo Mountains , Damaraland and Kaokoveld ), in Zimbabwe , the western mountain regions of Mozambique , in the southern and eastern areas of Zambia and in the mountainous regions of eastern Africa to up to Ethiopia .
description
With a weight of 1000 to 1100 g in males and up to just under 1300 g in females and a wing length of around 450 mm, the augur buzzard is a medium-sized bird of prey.
The plumage of the adult birds is characterized by the black-gray to black, occasionally with lighter speckles provided top of the back, head, neck and wings. The belly, on the other hand, is white-gray to white, with black-white spots at the transition to neck and shoulders. The rump and underside of the tail are reddish brown. The flight feathers have a black and white pattern on the top. The underside of the wings, like the belly, is white-gray to white and at the edges black-gray to black. The eyes of adult birds have a black pupil and a black-gray iris .
The youth dress is brown on the top with gray-brown markings. The head is gray-brown with brown markings, the underside of the neck initially light gray-brown with brown speckles, downwards more and more white-gray to white. The underside of the wings are also light gray-brown on the front with a few brown speckles and more and more white-gray to white towards the rear. The rump and underside of the tail are pale gray. The eyes of the young birds also have black pupils, but a blue-gray iris.
The legs are pale yellow in both juvenile and adult birds. Melanism is common in the augur buzzard. Around 10% of rock buzzards are completely black in color, with the exception of the black and white patterned wing feathers. In densely wooded forest areas and in areas with high rainfall, the proportion of black buzzards can increase to more than half of the population.
Habitat and way of life
As a habitat, it prefers rocky mountain landscapes in higher regions, but is occasionally found near the coast in arid areas. It occurs singly or in pairs. This buzzard spends a lot of time searching for prey from high rocks or treetops or looking for movements on the ground while in flight.
The rock buzzard feeds mainly on snakes , lizards, small mammals , smaller birds and insects . It is not certain whether he will also accept carrion and fallen game.
Reproduction
The breeding season is from July to October - mainly from August to September. The bowl-like nest consists of small branches, has a diameter of 56 to 64 cm and is about 15 to 19 cm deep. It is padded with finer branches and leaves, it is usually built in rock niches, but occasionally also on trees or on tree stumps growing out of rock niches. The clutch consists of two, rarely three pale bluish-white eggs with brownish speckles. The breeding period is about 39 to 40 days. It is incubated by both partners, but mainly by the female bird. The nesting time is 48 to 55 days - the larger chicks are fed by both parents, but mainly by the mother. Larger chicks kill the younger siblings (if possible) within the first week and are dependent on their parents for up to six weeks after the first flight.
Internal system
The taxonomy of this species until recently was controversial and is still a bit confusing because some scientists the Jackal Buzzard , the Archer Buzzard ( Buteo archeri ) and augur buzzard as a subspecies of the same species were classified, although these different habitats inhabit and also in terms of their Voices and plumage differ considerably.
literature
- James Ferguson-Lees , David A Christie: Raptors of the World. Houghton Mifflin, 2001, ISBN 0-618-12762-3 .
- Einhard Bezzel: birds. BLV Verlagsgesellschaft, Munich 1996, ISBN 3-405-14736-0 .
- L. Svensson, PJ Grant, K. Mularney, D. Zetterström: The new cosmos bird guide. Franckh-Kosmos Verlag, Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-440-07720-9 .
- Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. Southern African Birding cc., 1997-2003, ISBN 0-620-34053-3 .
- Ian Sinclair, Phil Hockey, Warwick Tarboton: SASOL Birds of Southern Africa. Struik, 2002, ISBN 1-86872-721-1 .
Web links
- Augur Buzzard - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds (PDF; 176 kB)
- Hawk Conservancy
- Buteo augur inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
Individual evidence
- ↑ L. Svensson, PJ Grant, K. Mularney, D. Zetterström: The new cosmos bird guide. Franckh-Kosmos Verlag, Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-440-07720-9 .
- ^ A. Roberts, PAR Hockey, WRJ Dean, P. Ryan: Roberts Birds of Southern Africa. The John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town 2005, ISBN 0-620-34053-3
- ↑ James Ferguson-Lees, David A Christie: Raptors of the World. Houghton Mifflin, 2001, ISBN 0-618-12762-3 .
- ^ GL MacLean, A. Roberts: Roberts Birds of Southern Africa. The John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, ISBN 0-620-34053-3 .
- ^ RK Brooke: The taxonomic relationship of Buteo rufofuscus and B.augur. In: Bull. Brit. Orn. Club. 95, 1975, pp. 152-154.
- ^ AL Lendrum: The Augur Buzzard in the Matopos, Rhodesia. In: Ostrich. 50, 1979, pp. 203-214.
- ↑ Einhard Bezzel: Birds. BLV Verlagsgesellschaft, Munich 1996, ISBN 3-405-14736-0 .