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.
识别特征
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.
分类信息
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.
- 学名
- Butastur rufipennis
- 命名信息
- (Sundevall, 1850)
- 目
- Accipitriformes
- 科
- Accipitridae
- 属
- Butastur
分布与栖息地
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.
- 迁徙
- Complete migrants
保护状况
- 种群趋势
- declining
照片
分布
其他鸟类
Asir Magpie
Pica asirensis
A crow-like bird with a long, narrow tail. Flashy black-and-white pattern distinctive within range. An endangered species, this is a rare but conspicuous bird of juniper forest and riverine scrub between 2200–3000m in the Asir massif of southwestern Saudia Arabia, where it typically moves in pairs and small family groups. Very vocal, often giving loud querulous grating “kuaynk-kuaynk” calls and high-pitched woodpecker-like “keenk” notes. Does not overlap in range with Eurasian Magpie, but Asir has less white in the plumage, a larger bill, and a shorter tail.
Boat-billed Flycatcher
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Large striking flycatcher of tropical and subtropical forest and woodland; also in semi-open areas with taller trees. Perches mainly at mid-upper levels, often in the canopy. Fairly common in most areas, but uncommon and local in West Mexico. Told from widespread Great Kiskadee, which prefers more open and less wooded habitats, by dull olive upperparts (lacking the bright rusty wings and tail of kiskadee) and stouter bill, with a more strongly arched ridge along the top. The two species sound quite different.
Common Eider
Somateria mollissima
Flocks of these large sea ducks enliven northern coastlines. Males are white and black with a soft suffusion of green on the nape. Immature males are variable and messy-looking with patches of black and white. Females vary from rich rufous-brown to cold grayish, always with extensive black barring covering body and wings. Slight variation in bill shape and color across subspecies, especially obvious on males; Pacific birds have brightest orange bills, most others have greenish bills. Dives to feed on mollusks and other crustaceans. In late summer, look for flocks of females with dozens of ducklings; broods often join together. Compare females with other eider species, and note details of bill and head shape.
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