Common Buzzard

Buteo buteo

A: Bruinjakkalsvoël
G: Mäusebussard
N: ǂgama anitsēbeb
Sp: Kgajwane ye tshotho
Ss: Kgajwane e tshootho
Tw: Ntswana e rokwa
X: isigoloda
Z: isanxa

BIRD FAMILY
Buzzards

SIZE
45-50 cm (L)

HABITAT
Commonly seen on roadside posts in summer, or circling slowly overhead. Northward-migrating flocks follow forested hills in early March. A non-breeding species; the vast majority only present in summer.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION
Very common  summer visitor . Adults highly variable. Occurs most commonly as (a) but dark  morph  (b) and russet morph (c) frequently seen; other variations also occur. Diagnostic feature common to all (except the very dark morph) is a distinct pale zone across the breast, which divides the streaked or smudged upper breast from the banded underparts. In flight, spread tail appears pale cinnamon with a dark terminal band.  immature  has entirely streaked or blotched underparts, the eye paler. Much smaller than  Brown Snake-Eagle  and lacks that species’ large yellow eyes. In flight sometimes calls ‘kreeeeee’, especially when two or more fly together.