Butastur teesa
The White-eyed Buzzard (*Butastur teesa*) is a captivating medium-sized raptor, often described as a 'hawk-buzzard' due to its intermediate build between slender accipiters and bulkier *Buteo* buzzards. Measuring 40-48 cm in length with a wingspan of approximately 100-110 cm, it weighs between 320-550 grams. Its most distinctive field mark, giving it its common name, is its striking pale yellow to whitish iris, contrasting sharply with its otherwise rather plain, dark brown upperparts and ruf...
Primarily found in open woodlands, cultivated plains, dry deciduous forests, and thorny scrub, typically inhabiting lowlands and foothills up to moderate elevations.
A generalist carnivore, its diet consists mainly of large insects like locusts, grasshoppers, and beetles, supplemented by small vertebrates such as lizards, snakes, rodents, frogs, and small birds, typically captured via perch-hunting.
White-eyed Buzzards are diurnal raptors, commonly seen perched prominently on power poles, dead trees, or other vantage points, from which they survey their surroundings. Their primary foraging strategy involves a 'perch-and-pounce' method, where they drop swiftly onto unsuspecting prey. They als...
The White-eyed Buzzard is widely distributed across the Indian Subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. Its primary breeding and year-round range encompasses India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. Within India, it is found throughout the mainland, extending from the Himalayan foothills...
Least Concern
- The White-eyed Buzzard's genus name, *Butastur*, is a blend of *Buteo* (true buzzards) and *Astur* (accipiters or true hawks), reflecting its intermediate characteristics. - Its most striking feature, the pale to whitish iris, is unique among most raptors in its range, making it easily identifi...