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PLATE 27: BUZZARDS
White-eyed Buzzard Butastur teesa V
L: 45. W: 100. Between a honey buzzard and a harrier when soaring, wings relatively narrow, held
flattish, with tail half spread. When gliding wings angled and tail looks relatively long and narrow;
in active flight has Accipiter-like wingbeats. Tail often twisted in kite-like manner. From above, adult
has cinnamon-rufous tail with black band near tip, and warm-brown primary patch and buffish
panel across wing-coverts. Wing-tips blackish below. At distance appears whitish below with
darker breast. Young birds have paler head, whitish underparts (streaked at close range) and brown
iris. Perches erect for long periods; white throat with dark central streak and dark cheek-streak
are then visible (latter narrow or absent in young birds). Often confiding. Voice Plaintive, mewing
pit-weer, pit-weer. Habitat Dry open country with scrub and few trees; lightly wooded foothills.
Note Vagrant Oman.Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus PM, WV, rb
L: 60–66. W: 130–155. Larger than Steppe Buzzard with longer wings and tail, kinked wing position
when gliding and flexible wingbeats; soars on raised wings. Wide plumage variation: creamy-
white, rufous-brown and blackish morphs occur, based on colour of body and underwing-coverts.
The blackish morph can show coarse dark bars on flight and tail feathers. Typical Long-legged
Buzzards have pale head and breast, becoming dark towards belly, pale sandy or rufous-brown
upperwing-coverts contrasting with flight feathers, unbarred pale rusty-orange uppertail and
large black carpal patches. Juvenile has finely barred outer tail and diffuse dark trailing edge to
underwings; some are almost white below with bold carpal patches and dark rusty-brown belly
or belly sides. Sits prominently, soars or hovers when hunting. Voice Recalls Steppe Buzzard.
Habitat Steppe, semi-deserts, mountains and woodland. Note Passage and winter hatched.
Subspecies cirtensis breeds Arabia; larger nominate form visits region.Common Buzzard Buteo buteo pm, wv
L: 48. W: 118. Subspecies vulpinus (Steppe Buzzard) occurs. Fox-red, grey-brown and rare blackish
morphs occur. Smaller than Long-legged Buzzard with shorter, narrower wings, shorter tail, stiffer
wingbeats, and glides on flattish wings (Long-legged has flexible wingbeats and kinked gliding
profile). Fox-red morph has rusty-orange underwing-coverts framed by dark greater coverts, with
narrow blackish comma-shaped carpal patch (patch usually large in Long-legged); rufous-brown
uppertail usually more barred, head dark and pale primary patch above usually small. Juvenile has
streaked breast, diffuse band on trailing edge of underwing, no broad dark band on tip of tail; often
pale-headed, with pale upperwing-coverts and prominent primary patch above. Soars on raised
wings; may hover when hunting. Migrates in flocks. Voice Mewing peeeoo. Habitat Woodlands,
plains, mountain slopes with trees; anywhere on passage. Note Passage and winter hatched, but
rarer or absent in winter.