Mountain Buzzard

Mountain Buzzard ( Buteo oreophilus )

The Mountain Buzzard ( Buteo oreophilus ) is a representative of Real buzzards ( genus Buteo ) from the Accipitridae family ( Accipitridae ). It occurs in montane forests in East Africa.

Description

The mountain buzzard is 41 to 48 inches long and has a wingspan 102-117 cm. The males are almost ten percent smaller than the females. It is smaller than the buzzard. The wings and tail of the mountain buzzard are narrower and the legs are shorter. The wing tips are in the collapsed state, ie when seated individuals, such as at the tip of the tail. With many other buzzards wings in front of the tail. The wing beats are soft, the mountain buzzard sails with flat spanned, not prepared wings.

The call is a high -pitched " PIII - uu ".

Adult birds

The adult mountain buzzards the nominate B. o oreophilus are brown on the top, with irregular light brown Endsäumen on the deck plumage. The head and underside are white and drawn entirely with rich, brown stripes on the head and thicker spots on the chest. The tail has a bright terminal band, a broad, dark Subterminalbinde and is quergebändert continuous thin dark. The feathers on the legs, the so-called pants, light brown with darker spots. The iris is brown.

The subspecies B. o trizonatus has broader light brown seams on the top and usually a wide, white chest band. The tail is light brown and has a bright terminal band, a dark Subterminalbinde and three to four thinner dark cross bands from the tip. The coverts are lighter.

Young birds

The juvenile mountain buzzards of the subspecies B. o oreophilus have significantly more light brown seams on the top and thinner stripes on the bottom than the adult birds. The iris is yellowish.

The young birds of the subspecies B. o trizonatus have less drawing than the adult birds.

Habitat and Distribution

In East Africa the mountain inhabited Buzzard (B. o oreophilus ) mountain forests 2200-3800 meters above sea level, but also occurs at altitudes of 4500 meters. On the south coast of Africa the subspecies B. lives o trizonatus contrast, in forests and conifer plantations up to 1500 meters altitude.