Madagascar Buzzard
Buteo brachypterus
The Madagascar Buzzard (Buteo brachypterus) is a rare kites, old world vultures, eagles, and hawk found only in Madagascar, weighing about 511 g. The Madagascar buzzard is a bird of prey which is endemic to Madagascar.
About the Madagascar Buzzard
The Madagascar buzzard is a bird of prey which is endemic to Madagascar. It is a species from the widespread genus Buteo in the family Accipitridae.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The Madagascar buzzard is a typical old-world buzzard showing quite a lot of variability in plumage and which is similar to the forest buzzard of Africa and the palearctic common buzzard. They have a dark grey head, a white patch on the breast, the brownish -white vent and thighs are spotted with brown. The tail is marked with broad brownish-black bars. The bill is black with a greyish blue cere, the eyes are yellow and the legs and feet are pale yellow.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in November. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Madagascar Buzzard?
- The Madagascar buzzard is a typical old-world buzzard showing quite a lot of variability in plumage and which is similar to the forest buzzard of Africa and the palearctic common buzzard. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Madagascar Buzzard?
- The Madagascar Buzzard is a large sized bird weighing about 511 g.
- Where can you see a Madagascar Buzzard?
- The Madagascar Buzzard is endemic to Madagascar, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Madagascar Buzzard?
- The Madagascar Buzzard is most easily confused with the White-throated Hawk, the Mountain Buzzard and the Red-necked Buzzard.
- Is the Madagascar Buzzard endangered?
- The Madagascar Buzzard is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Madagascar Buzzard for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.