Page 137 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

BIRDS OF PREY
Order Acccipitriformes Family Accipitridae Species Buteo lagopus
Rough-legged Buzzard

pale head
white tail
with dark
bands
near tip
pale chest and dark brown above
blackish belly

whitish “frosty” pale
patches on ADULT feather edges
primaries
dark trailing
edge (pale on
juvenile) and
IN FLIGHT wingtips
FLIGHT: flight slightly more fluid and flexible than
Buzzard; soars less, hovers frequently.
his northern buzzard sometimes appears
Tin small numbers well to the south of
its usual range in winter when food is short.
It is clearly closely related to the Buzzard
but usually sufficiently distinct to make
identification straightforward. In wintering
areas such as the Netherlands, there may be
scores or hundreds of common Buzzards for
every Rough-legged, but its regular hovering may ADULT
draw attention to it. Its trademark feathered legs are
often hard to see. Like some other northern species,
its fortunes are closely linked to the
fluctuating availability of its prey.
VOICE Loud, low, plaintive squeal,
pee-yow.
NESTING Stick nest on cliff or in HEAD TO WIND
tree; 2–4 eggs; 1 brood; March–June. The pale head, dark belly, and pale
FEEDING Drops onto small vent show well as this individual
mammals, especially voles and small hovers, head to wind, searching
rabbits, from perch or after hover. for prey on the ground.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
Breeds in Scandinavia in tundra
GOLDEN EAGLE juvenile, and highland areas. Winters lower
longer wings;
browner see p.126 down in C Europe, few in Low
head Countries, very rare in UK except
in years when small rodent food is
stockier
scarce in north. Winter visitors
much often in low, expansive farmland.
BUZZARD bigger
jerkier in flight; Seen in the UK
see p.136 JF M A M J JA S O N D
Length 50–60cm (20–23 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 1.2–1.5m (4–5ft) Weight 600–1,300g (21–46oz)
Social Family groups Lifespan Up to 10 years Status Secure
135