Long-legged Buzzard

Long-legged Buzzard

Buteo rufinus

Included in the Pink List of the “Red Book” of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Shirvan National Park

A species of bird of prey belonging to the family of the Hawks of the order of the Golden-tailed Hawks of the class of birds. In Azerbaijan, it is distributed in Gobustan, Bozdag, the foothills and partly the middle mountainous part of the Lesser Caucasus, in Nakhchivan on the Arazboyu plain and the middle mountain slopes, as well as in the Talysh mountain steppes.

The body length is 57-65 cm, and the wingspan is 135-160 cm. The long body and the open shape of the wings give it an eagle-like appearance. It is larger than the common buzzard.
It lives in semi-desert and steppe landscapes with an arid climate. It finds its food by looking from the air. Its main food is frogs, reptiles, rodents, and sometimes small mammals and birds.