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The forest buzzard is a species of bird of prey found in Africa, though some authorities have placed it as a subspecies of another species, the mountain buzzard, Buteo oreophilus. This is a resident breeding species in woodlands in southern and eastern South Africa.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The forest buzzard is very similar to the abundant summer migrant steppe buzzard Buteo buteo vulpinus, the head, the back and upperwings are brown, marked out with rufous edges to the feathers the amount of which varies between individuals. The chin is whitish and unmarked, the breast and belly are whitish but marked with a variable amount of brown spots, and the undertail coverts are plain whitish.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Lesotho.
When to see it
Peak activity in December · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Hawaiian HawkButeo solitariusThe Hawaiian hawk measures approximately 40 to 46 centimetres (16 to 18 in) in length.
Galapagos HawkButeo galapagoensisThe Galapágos hawk is similar in size to the red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) and the Swainson's hawk (Buteo swainsoni) of North America, but the size is variable across the islands as is recorded for many animals native to the Galapágos.
Learn the Forest Buzzard for real
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