Mountain Buzzard

The Mountain Buzzard, Buteo oreophilus, is a relatively small raptor, bearing a resemblance to the migratory Steppe Buzzard, Buteo buteo vulpinus. It is characterized by brown upperparts and paler underparts adorned with heavy brown blotches. The underwing coverts are similarly marked, while the underside of the flight feathers exhibits barring and a pronounced black band along the trailing edge. The tail presents a brown upper side, a lighter grey underside, and faint bars that become broader near the tip. Juveniles display a buffier underside and are less heavily marked than adults.

Identification Tips

When identifying the Mountain Buzzard, look for the distinct black trailing edge on the wing and the barred tail with broad tips. The heavy brown blotching on the underparts is also a key characteristic to distinguish it from similar species.

Habitat

The Mountain Buzzard is found in montane forests and fragments thereof, including plantations with non-native trees like eucalyptus. In Malawi, it is confined to montane rainforests and does not venture into open habitats outside these forests.

Distribution

This bird of prey inhabits the mountainous regions of East Africa, with its range extending from Ethiopia, through Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, and into the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, then southward into Tanzania, Burundi, and Malawi.

Behaviour

A territorial species, the Mountain Buzzard is typically observed alone or in pairs. It spends much of its time perched within the forest canopy, occasionally soaring above. Its diet consists of small mammals, reptiles, and insects, which it hunts by spotting from a perch and then gliding down to capture. In Uganda, it has been noted to hunt bats near caves.

Breeding

Mountain Buzzards construct stick nests high in the forks of tall forest trees. In East Africa, nests with eggs have been reported from January and March, while nests with chicks have been noted in March, June, and July. In Malawi, breeding activity peaks in September, with juveniles observed in October, although no confirmed breeding records exist.

Similar Species

The Mountain Buzzard was once considered conspecific with the Forest Buzzard, Buteo trizonatus. It also forms a superspecies with the Common Buzzard and the Madagascar Buzzard, Buteo brachypterus, and may be related to the Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis, and the Rufous-tailed Hawk, Buteo ventralis.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Mountain Buzzard primarily includes small mammals, reptiles, and insects. It employs a sit-and-wait hunting strategy, using its keen eyesight to detect prey from a perch before swooping down to seize it.

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List classifies the Mountain Buzzard as Near Threatened, indicating that it faces threats that could lead to its vulnerability in the near future. Conservation efforts are important to ensure the survival of this species.