Upland Buzzard

Buteo hemilasius - Buse de Chine

Systematics
  • Order 
    :

    Accipitriformes

  • Family
    :

    Accipitridés

  • Genus
    :

    Buteo

  • Species
    :

    hemilasius

Descriptor

Temminck Schlegel, 1845

Biometrics
  • Size
    : 71 cm
  • Wingspan
    : 143 à 161 cm.
  • Weight
    : 950 à 2050 g
Longevity

11 years

Geographic range

Distribution

Identification

Buse de Chine
adult plum. breeding

Upland Buzzard is larger than Buteo rufinus (Long-legged Buzzard) up to 70 cm, so size is essential to its identification. There are two possible forms, either very dark brown or almost black throughout the body, or much lighter. In this case, the head is pale, almost white, with a light brown cap, the eye is black with a yellow eye ring, and there is also a brown line on the head. The chest and throat are white, striped with dark brown marks. If you can observe from close proximity, then visible are the thighs and tarses completely covered with dark brown plumage, and this is what distinguishes it from Buteo rufinus which has the plummage more rust-colored, with less feather coverage (Long-legged buzzard in English!), and they may inhabit the same territories. The nape is light, the mantle and coverts remain dark brown. In flight, the Upland Buzzard shows very clear white marks on the primary coverts and a brown and white striped tail. The underside of the wing is white, with beige to dark brown coverts, which are black on the darker-form individuals. Identifying Buteo rufinus and Buteo hemilasius is easy for the lighter forms, but for the darker or black forms, it is much more difficult, and only the striped tail with more prominent white color with Buteo hemilasius, and size make the difference.

Subspecific information monotypic species

Foreign names

  • Buse de Chine,
  • Busardo mongol,
  • bútio-do-planalto,
  • Mongolenbussard,
  • mongol ölyv,
  • Mongoolse Buizerd,
  • Poiana degli altipiani,
  • mongolvråk,
  • Mongolvåk,
  • myšiak východný,
  • káně stepní,
  • Højlandsvåge,
  • mongolianhiirihaukka,
  • aligot de Mongòlia,
  • Heiðavákur,
  • myszołów mongolski,
  • kalnu klijāns,
  • azijska kanja,
  • Мохноногий курганник,
  • オオノスリ,
  • 大鵟,
  • 大鵟,

Voice song and cries

Buse de Chine
adult

Its nasal call, the Upland Buzzard shrieks but remains a rather quiet bird.

Habitat

Buse de Chine
adult

Plains and steppes, mountain sides; tends to reside at higher altitudes than the Upland Buzzard (Buteo rufinus); in winter, may come closer to settlements.

Behaviour character trait

Migrating in groups of up to 30 to 40 individuals, they travel away from harsh winter zones to as far south as China or to the south slopes of the Himalayas. Often perching on rocky promontories or electrical poles close to settlements, the Upland Buzzard flies and glides at a high altitude in order to spot its prey.

Dietfeeding habits

Mainly, the Upland Buzzard feeds on small mammals: rabbits, marmots, susliks and various small rodents. It also hunts mountain birds: Tibetan Tetraogallus and Himalayan Tetraogallus. Depending on the severity of the seasons, it becomes opportunistic: insects, amphibians, reptiles.

Reproduction nesting

The couple builds their nest in cliff faces, mountain slopes, and near rivers. The nest is made out of twigs, grass, and tufts of wool, with a diameter of about one meter. We have observed couples that have two nests that they alternate between. Two to four eggs hatch in April or May and the young take flight after 45 days.

Geographic range

Southern Siberia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Northern India, Ladakh, Sikkim, Bhutan, China; it can be found in Tibet up to 5,000 m, also observed in small numbers in Japan and possibly Korea.

Threats - protection

IUCN conservation status
Extinct
Threatened
Least
concern
Extinc
in the Wild
Near
threatened
Not
evaluated
EX EW CR EN VU NT LC NE

The Upland Buzzard is not threatened, its location in sometimes inaccessible territories, at high altitudes is its best protection. CITES II.

Sources of information

Other sources of interest

QRcode Buse de ChineSpecification sheet created on 31/07/2023 by
Translation by AI Oiseaux.net
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