Jackal Buzzard
A species of Buzzards and Buteo Hawks Scientific name : Buteo rufofuscus Genus : Buzzards and Buteo Hawks
Jackal Buzzard, A species of Buzzards and Buteo Hawks
Botanical name: Buteo rufofuscus
Genus: Buzzards and Buteo Hawks
Content
Description General Info
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Description
The jackal buzzard is one of the two larger Buteo species native to Africa, alongside its close cousin, the augur buzzard. Adults may measure 44 to 60 cm (17 to 24 in) in total length. In weight, one survey found 55 unsexed birds to weight from 790 to 1,370 g (1.74 to 3.02 lb) while another found seven males to weigh from 865 to 1,080 g (1.907 to 2.381 lb) and eleven females to weigh from 1,150 to 1,700 g (2.54 to 3.75 lb). Another female also weighed approximately 1,700 g (3.7 lb), making this one of the massive of the world's Buteo species. 18 jackal buzzards were found to have averaged 1,059.4 g (2.336 lb). Wingspan in this species is known to range from 127 to 143 cm (4 ft 2 in to 4 ft 8 in), with an average of 131.9 cm (4 ft 4 in) in 9 birds being almost identical to the mean wingspan of the augur buzzard. The adult jackal buzzard is strikingly plumaged and arguably one of the most "handsome" buzzards. It is almost black above with a rufous tail. The primary flight feathers are blackish and the secondaries off-white, both barred with black. Below the chin and around the throat is mainly chestnut, and the rest of the underparts and the underwing coverts are rich rufous but for a contrasting black abdomen with faint white bars. The flight feathers from below present a large white panel, contrasting with black on the hand and black on the tips that form a dark trailing edge to the wing. Beyond its unmistakable colours, the jackal buzzard has a very short tail, broad wings, bulky body and large bill compared to most other buzzards but for the augur buzzard. The juvenile jackal buzzard is mainly brown above and a somewhat washed out rufous-buff brown below, often manifesting worn feathers that appear as lighter buffy or whitish streaking. The tail of the juvenile is usually buff-brown, with or without a somewhat creamy pale tip. The underwing of juvenile has black tips and whitish panel similar to adults but the inside of the wing is rufous-buff (similar to body feathers) streaked with brown. Sympatric with the jackal buzzard only in Namibia, the augur buzzard is usually distinctly paler at every stage of development than the jackal buzzard, especially lacking the rich underside tones of adults. However, both species have a melanistic form (rather rarer as far as is known in the jackal than the augur buzzard) which are very similar in appearance and may only be told apart by the melanistic augur having slight dark streaking on the white wing panels. An unlikely confusion species is the slightly larger bateleur, given its short rufous tail but the larger-headed, heavier set eagle bears a very distinct and particular head, wing and body shape and obvious distinct colours as adults. The juvenile bateleur may be confused with the similarly brown jackal buzzard but is much more dusky below with rather differing wing colour on its bulging wings. The jackal buzzard has a call of a sharp, barking quality, weeah ka-ka-ka or kyaahh-ka-ka-ka. The female jackal buzzard voice is deeper than that of the male. The fact that its call is reminiscent of that of black-backed jackal, is believed to be the source of the species' common name. It has a lower tone than the call of the forest buzzard and is very different from the harsh crowing of the augur buzzard. It is also reminiscent of the call of the American red-tailed hawk. 
Size
55 cm
Feeding Habits
Jackal Buzzard primarily preys on small ground mammals, particularly rodents, and also consumes birds, reptiles, insects, and carrion. Jackal Buzzard employs still-hunting from perches and soaring to capture prey on open ground. During nesting, jackal Buzzard's diet leans heavily towards small mammals, but shifts towards carrion during the non-breeding season. Unique adaptations allow jackal Buzzard to utilize carcasses after larger scavengers have departed.
Habitat
Jackal Buzzard thrives in a variety of habitats, primarily favoring hilly and mountainous terrains at altitudes ranging from sea level up to 3,500 meters. Its preferred habitats include open steppe, grasslands, and areas with rocky outcrops, both in arid conditions and regions with higher rainfall and lush vegetation. Although jackal Buzzard adapts to a range of environments, from subdesert coastal regions to high-altitude grasslands, it is especially common in locations with adjacent grasslands for hunting. The species is distributed across broad geographical regions characterized by these diverse habitats.
Dite type
Carnivorous
General Info
Behavior
Pairs have noisy aerial displays, including outside the breeding season. However the aerial display of the pair on territory tends to be much less dramatic than that of the augur buzzard, usually confined to circling or gentle stooping. The breeding season peaks in July to December, but can range from as early as from May to as late as March. The large stick nest is built in a tree or on a crag, and is often reused and enlarged in subsequent seasons. At first construction the nest with average about 60 to 70 cm (24 to 28 in) across and 35 cm (14 in) deep but easily can exceed 1 m (3.3 ft) in diameter with repeated uses. Two creamy or bluish white eggs (or very rarely three) are laid at about three day intervals and incubated by the female only, although food is brought to her on the nest by the male. A surveys of egg sizes show they average 60.7 mm × 47.7 mm (2.39 in × 1.88 in) with a range in height of 57 to 64.9 mm (2.24 to 2.56 in) and in diameter of 45 to 50 mm (1.8 to 2.0 in). The eggs hatch in about 40 days, after a further 56–60 days they can attempt flight. The parents will attack intruders, including humans, who come too close to the nest. Siblicide has been widely reported but, presumably when food supply is ample, nests often produce two fledglings. At 70 days they become independent of the nest, but young birds may then be seen with the adult pair for some time. As in other tropical raptors compared to temperate-zone relatives, the breeding cycle is relatively elongated and clutch size relatively small in the jackal buzzard compared to temperate-zone Buteo species.
Species Status
Not globally threatened.
Scientific Classification
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