A photo of a White-eyed Buzzard (Butastur teesa)
White-eyed Buzzard

White-eyed Buzzard

Butastur teesa

The white-eyed buzzard (Butastur teesa) is a medium-sized hawk, distinct from the true buzzards in the genus Buteo, found in South Asia. Adults have a rufous tail, a distinctive white iris, and a white throat bearing a dark mesial stripe bordered. The head is brown and the median coverts of the upper wing are pale. They lack the typical carpal patches on the underside of the wings seen in true buzzards, but the entire wing lining appears dark in contrast to the flight feathers. They sit upright on perches for prolonged periods and soar on thermals in search of insect and small vertebrate prey. They are vociferous in the breeding season, and several birds may be heard calling as they soar together. This slim and small hawk is easily identified by its white iris and the white throat and dark mesial stripe. A white spot is sometimes visible on the back of the head. When perched, the wing tip nearly reaches the tip of the tail. The ceres are distinctly yellow and the head is dark with the underside of the body darkly barred. In flight, the narrow wings appear rounded with black tips to the feathers and the wing lining appears dark. The upper wing in flight shows a pale bar over the brown. The rufous tail is barred with a darker subterminal band. Young birds have the iris brownish and the forehead is whitish and a broad supercilium may be present. The only confusion can occur in places where it overlaps with the grey-faced buzzard (Butastur indicus), adults of which have a distinctive white supercilium. Fledgelings are reddish brown, unlike most other downy raptor chicks, which tend to be white.
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White-eyed Buzzards on Birda

Sightings

A map showing the sighting location
🦢
Arjun Cheyyur
Friday 25 Nov 2022 - 6:58am
India
A map showing the sighting location
🦉
Jiwateshwar Singh
Sunday 29 May 2022 - 6:09am
India
A map showing the sighting location
🦉
Jiwateshwar Singh
Saturday 12 Mar 2022 - 1:00pm
India
A map showing the sighting location
🦢
Hemant Kirola
Sunday 10 Oct 2021 - 7:28am
India
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