Fun Augur Buzzard Facts For Kids

Does learning about various wildlife interest you? Then we are sure you will love reading about these African birds. Augur buzzards, which are birds of prey and East Africa residents, are large bulky birds. The Augur buzzard is also known as the African red-tailed hawk as it bears a striking resemblance to the red-tailed hawk found in America. Augur buzzards are dark gray or black in color and have white underparts, underwing coverts, and black barred. It also has a dark gray head with a rufous-brown chestnut tail. This bird is very commonly sighted roosting in a tree or rocks. Augur buzzard adaptations include their captivity to live in a wide range of habitats.

If you want to learn more characteristics about this bird, keep on reading. To read more about other birds, check out our articles on the griffon vulture and blue jay.

What type of animal is an Augur buzzard?

An Augur buzzard (Buteo augur) is a type of bird belonging to the order Accipitriformes.

What class of animal does an Augur buzzard belong to?

An Augur buzzard belongs to the Aves class of the Animalia kingdom. It is a member belonging to the family Accipitridae and genus Buteo.

How many Augur buzzards are there in the world?

According to reports from the International Union for Conservation of Nature or the IUCN, there are about 1,000,000 mature Augur buzzard birds living in this world. The population of this species of birds has remained stable over the years.

Where does an Augur buzzard live?

These buzzards are native to Africa. Even though this bird with a rufous tail is mainly a resident of southern-west and east Africa, the Augur buzzard range map is quite widespread. It covers a great range from Ethiopia and Sudan to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is also a resident of Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, and other countries of eastern and southern -west Africa. This bird is found in relatively fewer numbers in South African countries.

What is an Augur buzzard's habitat?

These buzzards prefer living in high-altitude habitats. This bird is mostly found in mountains and adjoining grasslands in Kenya, Uganda, and other African countries. They can also inhabit grasslands. They are mostly seen soaring between the range of 1300-15100 ft (396-4603 m). Spotting this species roost in the open is not an uncommon scenario in African countries. It regularly perches on mounts, rocks, and trees. This white flight-feathered bird is also found in forested areas with high rainfall.

Who do Augur buzzards live with?

Augur buzzards are not solitary birds. They can often be observed flying around in pairs. When young ones are born, they live under the care of their mothers until they become independent.

How long does an Augur buzzard live?

In the wild, an Augur buzzard can live up to 10-20 years. However, the lifespan of these buzzards is longer in captivity. With proper care and attention, a pet Augur buzzard can live a healthy life for more than 30 years.

How do they reproduce?

This species of raptor with a rufous and brown tail mainly mates for life, but some populations have shown a different mating behavior. The breeding season of these non-migratory African birds mainly depends on their location range. The male and female both take an active part in building the nests in a tree. The nests are often reused, but breeding pairs always have alternative nests ready. An average of one to three eggs is present in the clutch. Both parents take part in looking after the newborns. It takes an egg about 40 days to hatch. The mothers take care of the incubation process, whereas the fathers are mainly in charge of food. After being under the care of the parents for about 70 days, the chicks leave the nest.

What is their conservation status?

The International Union for Conservation of Nature or the IUCN has listed the species of Augur buzzard (Buteo augur) as Least Concern in their Red List of Threatened Species. Even though these birds, with black underparts and a rufous and brown tail, face some threat of deforestation, their population status is not something to be concerned about.

What do Augur buzzards look like?

An Augur buzzard (Buteo augur) is a large-sized raptor that is strikingly plumaged. It has white underparts that are barred with black. It has a dark gray head, a rufous-brown chestnut tail, and a yellow beak. Apart from the yellow beak, a young Augur buzzard is generally brown in color with rufous-brown underparts and lacks the white barred with black underparts that are present in adults.

How cute are they?

It is very easy to get intimidated by the size of this buzzard with black underparts. The dark gray or black plumage with white underwing coverts or underparts does not help the bird look very colorful either. This bird is not categorized as cute. However, many people are awed when they see an Augur buzzard in flight due to their white flight feathers.

How do they communicate?

This raptor is a loud bird that typically uses various calls to communicate. The calls of this species of birds are harsher than their cousin, the jackal buzzard. They use calls like 'a-ung a-ung' and 'a-kow a-kow'. A higher-pitched 'a-waaa a-waaa' is also used by this raptor while soaring.

How big is an Augur buzzard?

The Augur buzzard (Buteo augur) is larger than its cousin, the jackal buzzard (Buteo rufofuscus). An adult Augur buzzard is typically 19-24 in (48-60 cm) in length. This species of bird also has a large wingspan of 3.9-4.8 ft (120-149 cm). When compared to a regular yellow-billed cuckoo, this bird is almost twice as long in size.

How fast can an Augur buzzard fly?

This raptor shows great aerial movements and has white flight feathers. It is a fast flyer and agile glider. A buzzard can be seen soaring very often with its rufous colored tail. However, there is not enough data to find out the exact speed of an Augur buzzard.

How much does an Augur buzzard weigh?

A male adult Augur buzzard typically weighs 1.9-2.6 lb (0.9-1.2 kg). The weight of female birds, however, is more than the males. They weigh somewhere between 2.4-2.9 lb (1.1-1.3 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Like all other birds, a male Augur buzzard is referred to as a cock, and a female Augur buzzard is referred to as a hen.

What would you call a baby Augur buzzard?

A baby Augur buzzard is called a chick, just like babies of all other birds.

What do they eat?

When it comes to food, these buzzards with white flight feathers are quite opportunists. They prey on reptiles like snakes and lizards. Different rodents also fall prey to them. Buzzards come down to land to prey on these reptiles and rodents. They are also noticed to wait on branches of the tree to prey on smaller birds. Various insects are also a part of their diet. These predators also prey on carrions.

Are they poisonous?

Even though the aAgur buzzard (Buteo augur) is an opportunistic predator, it is not known to be poisonous.

Would they make a good pet?

Augur buzzards can be kept as pets. In fact, these birds have a longer lifespan in captivity. You can find an Augur buzzard for sale online or in trade markets. Some may also take a liking to the white-colored flight feathers. However, they will need a proper diet and environment to survive. It is advisable to do thorough research before keeping an Augur buzzard as a pet.

Did you know...

10% of the total population of these buzzard birds are melanistic. The birds in melanistic form have an all-black plumage. The birds are melanistic when they have a plumage that is all black except for the white or gray flight feathers, barred black coloration. The population of these all black except for flight feathers and underwing coverts or melanistic form birds are found more in forested areas with high rainfall.

It is one of the two subspecies of a common buzzard, with the jackal buzzard being the other one.

How did the Augur buzzard get its name?

The word 'buzzard' means 'hawk' in parts of Europe and Africa. As these buzzards have many similarities with the red-tailed hawk, they were given the name Augur buzzard. This bird is also commonly referred to as the African red-tailed hawk.

The word 'buzzard' also means 'a bird that preys on carrion', which is a fitting name for this opportunist.

What is the difference between an Augur buzzard and an Augur hawk?

The main difference between an Augur buzzard and a hawk is their appearance. Additionally, hawks are mainly migratory, unlike the Augur buzzard.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our eastern wood pewee facts and hyacinth macaw facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Augur buzzard coloring pages.