Augur Buzzard

Buteo rufofuscus

CLASSIFICATION

Class:	Aves
Order:	Falconiformes
Family:	Accipitridae
Genus:	Buteo
Species:	rufofuscus

The Augur Buzzard is also known as the African Red-Tailed Hawk.

SIZE

Length:	Male:	0.5 meters
	Female:	0.5 meters
Weight:	Male:	880-1160 grams
	Female:	1097-1303 grams
Wingspan:	Male:	393-410 grams
	Female:	423-444 grams

APPEARANCE:

The Augur Buzzard is probably the most commonly seen bird of prey in Africa. The belly and chest are all white with specks of gray. The rest of the body (except the tail) is slate-gray with white specks. The tail feathers are red, hence the nickname, African Red-Tailed Hawk. The beak is yellow up to the very end, where it turns gray.

The immature Augur Buzzard is white with streaked or blotched blackish-brown feathers with a somewhat barred tail. They obtain their full adult plumage when they are about one and a half years old.

There are three ways to distinguish the sexes from one another. One is based on the size of the bird. The female is about 10% larger than the male. Another was is to listen closely to the call of the bird. The female has a lower pitched call than the male. Finally, you can check their color pattern. Most females have black bibs on their throats whereas the males’ throats are white.

The Augur Buzzard attains all of the normal Buteo hawk characteristics:

-Well-developed allula
-Long, broad wings with five outer primaries which aid in soaring
-Compact body
-Dark eyes
-Medium, fan-shaped tail

RANGE/DISTRIBUTION:

The Augur Buzzard is common in the highlands and plains of East Africa, especially in Zimbabwe and central Namibia northwards to southern Tanzania. Occasionally, they can be seen in the central African plains.

HABITAT/TERRITORY SIZE:

Augur Buzzards typically live in mountainous, hilly areas and sometimes in open woodland, savannas and grasslands. They tend to live between 5,000 & 12,000 feet, but have been seen soaring as high as 17,000 feet. They regularly occur higher than any other bird of prey in Africa. They do approach sea level around the Cape area.

Each pair of Augur Buzzards needs about 3.5 kilometers and lives there all year around.

MIGRATION:

The Augur Buzzard is a non-migrating bird.

DIET:

The Augur Buzzard’s diet consists mainly of reptiles, typically lizards and snakes. They will also feed on rodents, small birds, insects and carrion.

HUNTING METHOD:

Augur Buzzards either pounce from a rock or tree perch or sometimes stoop from s hovering, soaring or a gliding flight. They have been known to take carrion from leftover kills or road casualties.

BREEDING INFORMATION:

The end of winter is the start of the breeding cycle for Augur Buzzards. The bird builds a substantial stick nest on narrow ledges of cliffs or sometimes in a tall tree between the months of May and August. In August or September, the female lays a clutch of two blotched eggs and incubates them. The first egg usually hatches about 40-45 days later. The second egg usually hatches 1-2 days after the first. With rare exceptions, the younger chick dies within a few days due to sibling aggression. The surviving chick begins to fledge around 30 days and makes its first flight when it’s around 50 days old.

BEHAVIOR:

The cry of the Augur Buzzard is a loud “kow” in sets of 3-5.

The Augur Buzzard is one of the few birds of prey that have the ability to hang motionless in the air, riding a strong wind slicing off a hillcrest. This is their most common hunting method.

STATUS:

The Augur Buzzard is a common sight in Africa. Their nests are usually inaccessible due to the fact that they are on rocky cliffs or too high up in a tree. Their biggest threat is man due to loss of habitat. Augur Buzzards sometimes adapt well to human settlement and will use small, exotic plantations for nesting and roosting.

FOLKLORE AND MYTHS:

Many people believe that the Augur Buzzard and the Jackal Buzzard are the same bird. They are very similar, but are not the same. From the back, they are virtually indistinguishable, however, the underparts of the Jackal Buzzard are a striking white and not gray, like the Augur Buzzard. Also, the call of the Jackal Buzzard is slightly different.