Long-legged buzzard

The range of this species covers Asia (Syria, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Northwest China and Mongolia) and Europe (the countries of the Balkan Peninsula). There are also registered migrations in Italy, France, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. In Bulgaria it is found as a permanent, nesting-migratory, transient and wintering species. Its number is growing, as the number of nesting pairs is between 800 – 1000 in about 500 localities. Some of the populations winter in the southern parts of the country.

In Bulgaria, the Long-legged buzzard reaches a size of 57 cm and has a wingspan of 140 cm. Adults have ocher-brown plumage, the head and tail are lighter, and the abdomen is dark. The juveniles resemble the adults, but the tail feathers have black belts.

It breeds on rock cornices, less frequently in deciduous and coniferous trees. The building of a new nest or the repairing of the old one takes place at the beginning of March, and in continuous warming also at lower altitudes – and at the end of February. It is tolerant to other birds of prey breeding in the region. Egg-laying starts from the first decade of March to the middle of April. The female lay 4-5 eggs around March to April and at an age of about 50 days the young birds leave the nest (usually at the beginning of July) and stick around it for a week.

They inhabit rocks in gorges of rivers, separate rock complexes, stone quarries with open spaces around them (arable lands, pastures) that the birds use for hunting. It inhabits open hilly terrains in the feet of the mountains close to gorges of rivers.

Unknown.

The species is included in the Red Book of Bulgaria “Vulnerable” (VU). It is also present in Annexes 2 and 3 of the Biodiversity Act (BDA). This species is included in Annex I to Directive 2009/147 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds.

The Long-legged buzzard is also included in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – with the category “Least Concern” (LC).

*Note: For the description of birds is used information from: Golemanski, V. & al. (eds). 2015. Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria. Vol. 2. Animals. BAS & MoEW, Sofia [English ed.: ISBN 978-954-9746-22-8 (IBER – BAS), 978-954-8497-18-3 (MoEW)]; Michev T., D. Simeonov, L. Profirov. 2012. Birds of the Balkan Peninsula. Ecotan, Sofia, 300 pp; the website of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).