Buteo augur
The Augur Buzzard (Buteo augur) is a strikingly handsome raptor native to Eastern Africa, revered for its bold plumage and powerful presence. Typically measuring 48-60 cm in length with a wingspan of 120-149 cm and weighing 800-1300g, this medium-sized buzzard exhibits two main morphs: a common light morph with pristine white underparts, a dark grey back, black primary flight feathers, and a distinctive rufous-red tail, and a less common dark morph which is entirely dark brown to black. A key...
Found in montane forests, savannas, grasslands, and rocky hillsides, typically at elevations ranging from 500 to 4,000 meters above sea level.
Primarily preys on small mammals (e.g., rodents, hyraxes), reptiles (lizards, snakes), large insects, and occasionally small birds, typically hunted from a perch or during soaring flight.
Augur Buzzards are diurnal raptors, often observed soaring on thermals during the warmest parts of the day or perched conspicuously on isolated trees, power poles, or rocky outcrops, surveying their surroundings. Their primary foraging strategy involves perch-hunting, patiently scanning for prey,...
The Augur Buzzard is endemic to Eastern Africa, with a continuous distribution extending from Ethiopia and Eritrea in the north, through Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania. Its range also stretches into the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique...
Least Concern
- The name "Augur" comes from ancient Roman priests who interpreted omens from the flight and calls of birds; its striking calls and prominent perching habits made it a fitting namesake. - It is one of the most common and easily identifiable raptors across much of its East African range, often se...