Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus)

From what is known of the Long-legged Buzzard, it does not seem to be the most spectacular of hunters. It seems to favour a slow version of the perch and pounce method, frequently spending hours on end sitting on a rock, earth mound or on the ground, watching its immediate surroundings somewhat impassively, and waiting for something to happen. When it does this Buzzard will drop down on to a gerbil, rat, pika or small rabbit with unceremonious efficiency, sometimes simply intercepting a victim at the entrance to its hole. When the fancy takes it, it will also wander along the ground looking for large insects such as grasshoppers and locusts, and animals fleeing from bush fires are also an easy target. Even when it does take to the air to forage, the Long-legged Buzzard often hangs somewhat listlessly in the air, making the minimum effort.

By Koshy Koshy from Faridabad, Haryana, India – Long-legged Buzzard, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74742757

The Long-legged Buzzard is only found in the extreme east of our region, where it is mainly a summer visitor, arriving in mid-March and leaving in late August and September. It prefers arid regions such as steppes and stony mountainsides, and usually builds its nest on a cliff ledge or slope.

From ‘Birds: A Complete Guide to All British and European Species’, by Dominic Couzens. Published by Collins and reproduced with permission.