Prairie buzzard

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Prairie buzzard
Adult prairie buzzard (Buteo swainsoni), light-colored morph

Adult prairie buzzard ( Buteo swainsoni ), light-colored morph

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Birds of prey (Accipitriformes)
Family : Hawk species (Accipitridae)
Genre : Buzzards ( buteo )
Type : Prairie buzzard
Scientific name
Buteo swainsoni
Bonaparte , 1838

The prairie buzzard ( Buteo swainsoni ) is a member of the real buzzards ( genus Buteo ) from the hawk family (Accipitridae). It occurs in western North America .

description

The prairie buzzard has an average body length of 53 centimeters and a wingspan of 132 centimeters. It can be distinguished from any other buzzard by its long, narrow and pointed wings.

In soaring flight over plains and the prairie , the wings are set up and the tumbling flight is reminiscent of vultures .

Its plumage is extremely variable. In contrast to the red-tailed buzzard, it lacks the bright spots on the umbrella feathers and the covers of the hand wings . The beak is less powerful, the wax skin is yellow. The upper side of the wing is monochrome brown to dark brown, the wing-coverts have pale, light-colored edges. The underside and the upper tail-coverts are light, as is the always white throat patch. In flight, bright transverse bands can be seen on the large plumage ( arm wings , hand wings and tail feathers).

The iris is light in young birds and dark in adults.

There are three morphs (color types) of the prairie buzzard.

Light morph

The underside of the wings of the dark morph has a light, dirty-whitish base color, which contrasts with the dark transverse bands of the large plumage. They have a distinct, brown breast flap that is clearly set off from the rest of the white underside. The flanks have an incomplete, thin, light brown transverse banding. The 'pants' (feathered lower legs) are white and unbanded.

Young birds of this morph have a dark stripe of beard that separates from the light throat, and a light stripe over the eyes from the base of the beak to the back of the head. The flanks have large dark spots, the belly smaller ones.

Intermediate morph

The color of the intermediate morph (intermediate type) lies between the light and the dark morph and includes a brownish type. In this case, the light brown underside, including the trousers, is evenly cross-banded in dark dark (' sperm ').

Dark morph

The dark morph of the prairie buzzard is dark brown with white under tail coverts. The light transverse bands on the underside of the wing stand out less strongly from the otherwise dark underside. The darkest individuals of this morph have a plain underside.

voice

Outside the breeding season, the prairie buzzard is not very happy to call. The call is a high-pitched "kiarrrrrrr" that sounds weaker than the similar call of the red-tailed buzzard.

distribution

Distribution area of ​​the prairie buzzard
yellow: breeding area in summer
blue: wintering area
light blue: less frequently used wintering area

The prairie buzzard occurs in a wide strip from the hinterland of the west coast of the USA to about its middle, the Great Plains . In the north it is found in the southwest of Canada , in the south to the north of Mexico .

hikes

The prairie buzzard is a partial migrant , the migration takes place in large flocks. Most of them overwinter in South America , more rarely Florida and in the Central Valley in California .

literature

  • Mel Baughman (Ed.): Field Guide to the birds of North America. 4th fully rev. and updated Ed., National Geographic Society, 2002, ISBN 0-7922-6877-6 .

Web links

Commons : Buteo swainsoni  - album with pictures, videos and audio files