Bird Guide

Ferruginous Hawk vs Jackal Buzzard

Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis)

Ferruginous Hawk

Buteo regalis

Large1.4 kgGrassland

This is the largest of the North American Buteos and is often mistaken for an eagle due to its size, proportions, and behavior. Among all the nearly thirty species of Buteo in the world, only the upland buzzard (B. hemilasius) of Asia averages larger in length and wingspan. The weight of the upland buzzard and ferruginous broadly overlaps and which of these two species is the heaviest in the genus is debatable. As with all birds of prey, the female ferruginous hawk is larger than the male, but there is some overlap between small females and large males in the range of measurements. Voice: The voice is not well-described in literature. Alarm calls consist of kree – a or ke – ah and harsh kaah, kaah calls, the latter resembling some vocalizations of the herring gull. One description referred to the "wavering" alarm call and "breathy" notes, while other authors describe screams similar to those of the red-tailed hawk (B. jamaicensis).

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: John Krampl · CC BY 4.0
Jackal Buzzard (Buteo rufofuscus)

Jackal Buzzard

Buteo rufofuscus

Huge1.5 kgGrassland

The jackal buzzard is one of the two larger Buteo species native to Africa, alongside its close cousin, the augur buzzard. Adults may measure 44 to 60 cm (17 to 24 in) in total length. In weight, one survey found 55 unsexed birds to weight from 790 to 1,370 g (1.74 to 3.02 lb) while another found seven males to weigh from 865 to 1,080 g (1.907 to 2.381 lb) and eleven females to weigh from 1,150 to 1,700 g (2.54 to 3.75 lb). Another female also weighed approximately 1,700 g (3.7 lb), making this one of the more massive Buteo species in the world.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa · CC BY 2.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Ferruginous Hawk and Jackal Buzzard.