Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...

Red-necked Buzzard

Buteo auguralis

The Red-necked Buzzard, Buteo auguralis, also known as the African Red-tailed Buzzard, is a medium-sized raptor with a striking rufous neck that extends over the crown and onto the upper back. The upperparts are predominantly blackish, with rufous upper tail feathers marked by a black subterminal bar. The underparts are primarily white, with a dark throat and dark flank blotches. Juveniles are similar to adults but have browner upperparts and creamier underparts, lacking the dark throat.

Identification Tips

When identifying the Red-necked Buzzard, look for the distinctive rufous neck and crown, as well as the contrasting blackish upperparts and white underparts with dark markings. The black subterminal bar on the rufous tail is also a key feature. Juveniles may be distinguished by their overall browner appearance and the absence of a dark throat.

Habitat

This buzzard favors forest edges and clearings, including those within secondary and primary forests. It can also be found in cultivated areas but is generally absent from dense lowland rainforest habitats. It is known to inhabit elevations up to 2,500 meters.

Distribution

The species is found across a broad band from Mauritania south to Liberia, then eastwards to Ethiopia and Uganda, and south along the Gulf of Guinea coast through Gabon to the Democratic Republic of Congo and northeastern Angola.

Behaviour

The Red-necked Buzzard typically hunts from a perch, scanning the ground for prey before diving down in a swoop to capture it. It is a generalist predator, feeding on a wide variety of small animals including rodents, birds, lizards, snakes, and arthropods, with a particular fondness for termites.

Breeding

Pairs of Red-necked Buzzards build stick nests in the upper forks of large forest trees, on cliff ledges, or on pylons, often reusing the same site in successive years. Clutch sizes are usually one or two eggs. In the northern part of its range, eggs are likely laid from November to January, while in the south, young have been observed in nests as late as August.

Conservation status

The Red-necked Buzzard is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it is not at immediate risk of widespread decline.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Red-necked Buzzards on Birda

Photos

More Kites, Hawks, Eagles

A photo of a Shikra (Accipiter badius)

Shikra

Accipiter badius
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Dunners12345
Great App
Great app to use for logging and communicating with others who are interested in birds
Jake W
Great app
I use this app all the time as it’s quick and easy to log individual sightings or whole birding sessions. It’s an excellent way to meet new people and the forum is full of really friendly people. The challenges are a great way to get involved and learn more about birds. Cannot recommend it enough!
Sacha0508
Simply fantastic
I love this app, it puts so much fun into recording the birds I’ve seen and heard while I’m out and about. The interface is user-friendly and suitable for all ages. It’s great to collect badges and to review my “lists”.
Viperray5
Loving it
I really enjoy being able to interact with other birders on this platform! This seems like a great way to meet other birders and find some new spots.
778
Great bird recording
For a while I’ve been trying to find an app to easily record bird lists and day out and struggled to find one that I like. Birda is great for this, straightforward and a great community!
David C
Very knowledgeable group
Nice friendly birding community. Very knowledgeable group with a willingness to help.
Alice J
Awesome Birding Community
I absolutely love the community aspect of this app. The app is so user friendly and has fun interactive challenges to get you out birding. I’ve tried others but since I’ve started using Birda I’ve not gone back!
Ellesse_W
Learning Birding with Birda
I’m relatively new to birding as a hobby, and Birda is a great way to keep track off all the species I see. I’m still working on my ID skills, but the app is great for figuring out potential species, and the online community is so friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend Birda to both early and serious birders! 🐦
Emcil24
A Friendly Place
I love using the bird app, I have a pretty good knowledge of birds. But I do have some gaps in it, so it’s nice to have a safe space to check on a sighting to confirm the species. It’s really enjoyable and I love the badges you can collect. It’s like a real life Pokémon go.
Nedz53
Really useful
Downloaded to give it a try, everything worked perfectly, recorded my first bird watching walk. Very impressed. Have already recommended to friends!
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.