Augur buzzard

Augur buzzard
Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Domain	Eukaryota
Kingdom	Animalia
Subkingdom	Bilateria
Branch	Deuterostomia
Phylum Information
Phylum	Chordata
Sub-phylum	Vertebrata
Infraphylum	Gnathostomata
Class Information
Superclass	Tetrapoda
Class	Aves
Sub-class	Neornithes
Infra-class	Neoaves
Order Information
Order	Accipitriformes
Sub-order	Accipitres
Family Information
Superfamily	Accipitroidea
Family	Accipitridae
Sub-family	Buteoninae
Genus Information
Genus	Buteo
Species Information
Species	B. augur
Population statistics
Population	1,000,000 (2016 est.)
Conservation status	Least concern

The augur buzzard (Buteo augur) is a species of bird of prey of the family Accipitridae, and found in eastern and southern Africa.

Description

The augur buzzard is medium-sized, with a body length of 19 to 24 inches, a wingspan of 47 to 59 inches, and weigh 1.94 to 2.93 pounds. Females are slightly larger than males. The adult plumage is characterized by the black-gray to black, occasionally speckled on top of the back, head, neck and wings. The belly is white-gray to white, and spotted black and white at the transition of the neck to the shoulders. The rump and underside of the tail are reddish brown. The flight feathers are black and white on the upper side of the primaries and secondaries, giving the bird a bold appearance in flight. The underside of the wings is white-gray to white and black-gray to black at the edges. The eyes of adult birds have a black pupil and a black-and-gray iris. Melanism is common, with some 10% of these birds being completely black, with the exception of the black and white wing feathers. In densely wooded areas and in areas of high rainfall, the proportion of melanistic birds may increase to more than half of the population.

Juvenile birds are brown on the upper side with gray-brown markings. The head is gray-brown with brown markings, the underside of the neck light gray-brown with brown speckles, white-gray to white on the belly. The underside of the wings are also light gray-brown at the front with a few brown speckles with white-gray to white under wing coverts. The rump and underside of the tail are pale gray. The eyes of juveniles have black pupils with a blue-gray iris.

The call has been described as crow-like: "a-kow a-kow a-kow or a-ung a-ung a-ung", or a high-pitched "a-waaa a-waaa a-waaa" while in flight.

Range and habitat

The augur buzzard is found in the highlands of Ethiopia southward to Zimbabwe, and westward to Angola and Namibia. The bird is found in sparse or open forest, elevated savannas, deserts, and rocky mountainous landscapes in higher regions, usually between 1,300 and 15,100 feet elevation; it is also sometimes found in arid areas near the coast.

Reproduction

Breeding season is from July to October, with primary breeding taking place from August to September. The bowl-like nest consists of small branches padded with finer branches and leaves, with an average a diameter of three feet. It is usually built in rock niches or trees. The clutch consists of two, rarely three pale bluish-white eggs with brownish speckles, of which one chick may kill the others. 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 60 days.