Grasshopper Buzzard
Butastur rufipennis
A small, slim, fairly long-tailed buzzard. Gray and brown on the upperparts and rufous on the underparts. The white throat has a black line down the center. In flight, reveals distinctive rufous patches on the tops of the wings, with mostly white underwings. Found in a variety of savanna and grassland habitats. A migratory species that is often found in flocks, especially near fires. Best told from other buzzards by its structure, and in flight by its rufous wing panels. The call is a series of “ki” notes.
Identification
The adult grasshopper buzzard is grey brown above with a darker head and dark shaft streaks on all of its feathers. The feathers of the mantle and lesser coverts are narrowly with fringed rufous in fresh plumage, although this wears off. The grey tail has faint brown bars. The greater coverts and primary feathers are light rufous, the primaries are tipped with black, and form a conspicuous reddish patch in flight. The secondary feathers are rufous shading to dark brown towards the tip, which is white. The chin and throat are whitish, with three black streaks on either side of throat. The breast is rufous and has narrow shaft streaks of black, the belly and thighs are also rufous but lack markings. The axillary feathers are greyish brown, spotted with white or buff. The under wing coverts and wing lining are white. The eyes, legs, and cere are yellow. The bill has a black tip and a yellow base. The female is slightly larger than the male. Juveniles have a bright brownish-red head and nape with dark shaft streaks, and as they age, the crown becomes the same colour as the back, the tail acquires bars, and the rufous edges on the mantle and coverts become less distinct. The length of the grasshopper buzzard is 30–35 cm (12–14 in); the wingspan: 90 cm (35 in) and the weight is 310–340 g (11–12 oz) for the males and 300–380 g (11–13 oz) for the females.
Taxonomy
The grasshopper buzzard forms a superspecies with the white-eyed buzzard (Butastur teesa), rufous-winged buzzard (Butastur liventer), and grey-faced buzzard (Butastur indicus) all of which occur in Asia.
- Scientific name
- Butastur rufipennis
- Authority
- (Sundevall, 1850)
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Genus
- Butastur
Range and habitat
Afrotropical. Senegal and Gambia east to Ethiopia, migrating south to Sierra Leone, Cameroon, northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, and northern Tanzania.<p>The grasshopper buzzard is a partial migrant which moves south in the dry northern winter, i.e. September to March, and north again in summer with the rains, April to September to breed. In general, this species ranges between about 9-15° N when breeding, south to 5° N in the dry season, it only occurs south of the equator in eastern Africa. There is much local and even annual variation in distribution and abundance. Grasshopper buzzards usually frequent woodland and forest edges, and arid acacia savannahs. It also can be found in marshes’ edges and over burnt areas.
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Bronze Parotia
Parotia berlepschi
A fairly large, short-tailed bird of mid-mountane forest canopy in the Foja Mountains. Male is mainly black with white flanks, bronzy-scaled chest and 6 antennalike feathers projecting from the back of the head. Note the blue eye. The female is dull brown above with rufous in the wing, strongly-barred underparts and pale bands above and below the eye. The male dances at a terrestrial display court. There are no other similar birds-of-paradise that co-occur. Vocalizations include loud rasps, rattles or a single or double-note squeak “wi-dik!”.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Empidonax flaviventris
Small flycatcher, extremely similar to several other species. Generally shy and inconspicuous; breeds in spruce forests often near boggy areas. Migrants tend to be found in denser wet areas within woods. Olive-greenish above with distinctive yellow wash on throat and belly. Black wings with bold white wingbars. Nearly identical to Western Flycatchers, but limited range overlap. Within range, main confusion species is Least Flycatcher. Bright yellow throat and belly is usually enough to identify Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, but some worn birds can be very similar. Song is similar to Least Flycatcher ("chebek") but more slurred, with a soft buzzy tone. Not frequently repeated like Least Flycatcher. Soft whistled call note, "pwee," unlike Least's sharp "whit" call.
Yellow-shouldered Grassquit
Loxipasser anoxanthus
A small seed-eating species of forest edges, open woodlands, and nearby weedy areas; usually found in groups of two to five birds. Both sexes have bright yellow-green shoulders and a buff vent, which are diagnostic but can be difficult to see. Otherwise, the Black-faced Grassquit is rather similar, but can be distinguished by its slimmer bill and duller back. Furthermore, male Yellow-shouldered Grassquits have an entirely black head, whereas black is limited to the face on the Black-faced Grassquit. The song is a series of four or five high-pitched buzzy notes that either rising or dropping in pitch, followed by one to three notes at another different pitch.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.