Augur Buzzard

Fascinating facts about the Augur Buzzard

• At 2.4 metres across, an augur buzzard's wingspan rivals a grand piano laid flat—yet they weigh only 1.3 kg, giving them a wing loading so light they can ride thermals for hours without a single wing flap. This aeronautical trick lets them hunt across the Ethiopian highlands and East African savannas on almost no energy, scanning the ground for movement from heights where humans can't track them with binoculars.
• An augur buzzard is one of the few raptors that hunts actively at dusk, when their enormous dark eyes—occupying a third of their skull's volume—give them a 5-to-1 advantage in low light over their prey's vision. Rock hyraxes, the guinea-pig-sized mammals they favour, lose this sensory arms race just as the sun touches the horizon.
• Pairs stay together for life and return to the same cliff nest year after year, sometimes reusing and expanding it until it becomes a tangle of sticks 2 metres deep. One augur buzzard pair in the Serengeti occupied the same nest for over 50 years—a testament to fidelity so rare in birds it rivals that of albatrosses.
• The augur buzzard's dark morph plumage—jet black with a white rump—makes them the only large raptor in their range that cannot be confused with any other species, a clarity so absolute it shaped how early ornithologists named them. 'Augur' comes from the Latin for soothsayer or prophet, perhaps because early observers felt watched by their stare.
• Unlike most buzzards that migrate, East African augur buzzards are year-round residents, meaning they must solve the Ethiopian dry season's hunger puzzle by shifting prey: from birds in the rains to small mammals and reptiles when water vanishes. This flexibility has kept their population stable across a century of landscape change that devastated less adaptable raptors.

At a glance

About the Augur Buzzard

The Augur Buzzard (Buteo augur) is a striking raptor native to the mountainous regions of East Africa, particularly thriving in the highlands of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania. With a wingspan that can reach up to 1.4 meters, this bird showcases a robust build adorned with a rich palette of dark brown and white plumage, giving it a regal appearance. The contrast of its pale underparts against the dark upperparts, coupled with a distinctive white tail marked by black bands, makes it a standout among its avian peers. Nesting primarily in the rocky cliffs and dense forests of its habitat, the Augur Buzzard exhibits a preference for areas where it can soar high above the ground, using thermal updrafts to glide gracefully while scanning the terrain below for potential prey. This bird's keen eyesight allows it to detect small mammals and birds, which constitute its primary diet, and it has been observed to hunt cooperatively, a behavior not commonly seen in raptors, showcasing an intriguing aspect of its social dynamics that merits further study. In addition to its hunting prowess, the Augur Buzzard is known for its remarkable adaptability to varying altitudes and climates, often residing in elevations ranging from 1,200 to over 3,000 meters. Its vocalizations, a series of sharp, piercing calls, resonate through the mountains, serving as both a territorial marker and a means of communication with potential mates. As the sun sets over the African landscape, the Augur Buzzard can often be seen perched on a high branch, surveying its domain with an air of quiet authority. This majestic bird not only plays a crucial role in its ecosystem as a predator but also captivates the hearts of wildlife enthusiasts who venture into its mountainous realm, leaving them in awe of its beauty and behavioral complexities.

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