Need to confirm these buzzards (1 Viewer)

[Ains]

Today photographed buzzards (Rare in our area we have the occasional Long-legged buzzard and sometimes the common buzzard visiting our small hill station in Rajasthan. Need confirmation of these buzzards they seem to be common buzzards?
Location Mount Abu Rajasthan India.
Date 21 Nov 2020.

 

[Deb Burhinus]

The long-winged appearance and underwing plumage pattern points to Long-legged Buzzard imo.

 

[lou salomon]

all of them are juveniles. remember that they have narrower wings than adults, possibly accounting for the impression of a longer wing. that said, buteos in that part of the world are such a minefield that i'd be reluctant to put a name on them, especially in youngsters. they could as well be himalayan buzzards, imo.

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Wouldn’t Himalayan Buzzards (both refectus and bermanicus ) be out of range in Mount Abu? One ssp is sedentary, the other a short ranged altitude migrant - I cant recall which as I have no literature to hand. (Neither xeno nor ebirds show records for Himalayan Buzzard in Rajasthan). Japonicus is also restricted to the Himalayan regions and hemilasius Upland Buzzard also would be south of it’s normal range. Nominate Common Buzzard doesn’t occur in India afaik and these don’t look like Steppe Buzzards either on structure or plumage IMO.

The underwing pattern is fairy typical for pale LLB - the dark tips to the median covert forming an underwing band (that doesn’t occur in vulpinus) and pale upper breast with dark belly along with well defined solid carpel patches.

I agree, one can’t always be 100% with Buteos, but range and structure can suggest I think that one might more favourable over the other.

 

[Pavel]

Referring to photo 3,4 and 5, here in the Balkans, B. rufinus looks different - longer and broader wings, longer and stronger neck.
Regarding photo 1 and 2 it doesn't match with LLB shape and pattern I think.

 

[Nutcracker]

... Himalayan Buzzards (both refectus and bermanicus ) ....

Buteo refectus is just a synonym of Buteo burmanicus; see IOC:

Himalayan Buzzard is split from B. buteo (Rasmussen & Anderton 2005; Lerner et al. 2008); correct species name is burmanicus not refectus (Penhallurick & Dickinson 2008).

 

[Deb Burhinus]

2 looks like is the same bird as 3

all these buteos are highly variable with overlapping plumage features, including rufinus, (which has also 3 morphs) - Remember, Buteos also have regional variations where one type of colour morph/phenotype tends to predominate the other.

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Buteo refectus is just a synonym of Buteo burmanicus; see IOC:

The taxonomy on Buzzards in Asia has often been a bone of contention - literature refers to two distinct populations of Himalayan Buzzard for example, one an altitude migrant and one sedentary) - and that burmanicus is distinct from the other species of buteo found in the Himalayas but there seems to be little literature on the morphological differences . The Eastern Buzzard, ‘japonicus’, has also been treated as synonymous with rectus.

'Himalayan Buzzard'

Rasmussen & Anderton 2005 split Buteo burmanicus (Hume 1875) as Himalayan Buzzard. IOC World Bird List V2.0 has accepted this split, but as B refectus (Portenko 1935). Every other source that I've been able to check also uses refectus for this population, and Lepage (Avibase) notes that...

www.birdforum.net

I think we can rule out Himalayan Buzzards on range anyway and apart from Steppe I’m not sure what else is in range?

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Compare image 2 here

Oriental Bird Club Image Database : Long-legged Buzzard » Buteo rufinus

or #4?

Oriental Bird Club Image Database : Long-legged Buzzard » Buteo rufinus