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Buteo auguralis
This is a typical african species, smaller bird of prey (some 40cm in length) also known as African red-tailed buzzard. Pictured here is juvenile, with rufous reddish head and white chest with black to rufous irregular spots or stripes. When adult, that white on chest becomes rufous-red too. Yellow legs, yellow beak with black tip and yellow eye.
Common bird in parts of West and central Africa, here seen in central Kinshasa, in urban area, in vegetation on shores of river Congo, in a very popular park/walking area bordering the river.
Is this first report of these beauties on project NOAH??? This was my second bird-of-prey ever observed, and I was really lucky to have him take part in multiple photo shootouts... First day I saw this bird, I actually flushed him/her. I was crawling through somme bushes, trying to find an angle to click a family of black-faced canaries... when this fella just rocketed out of one of these shrubs... just next to me or just above my head - suddenly, I only heard heavy flapping of wings; had no time to get properly scared, but saw an unexpected big dark shade flying away... probably saw it bigger than it really was... However, that week, because of that encounter, I kept coming back to the same spot trying to find him/her again - and, often, I got lucky. My red-necked buzzard was regularly there, letting me shoot my wits out. Our sessions resulted with some 200 photos of this babe (nightmare to screen later on... but worth every ounce of effort)... Of course not, she/he never got tamed, and I never tried to attract him/her with baits... She/he was just always there during that week, almost on the same tree. In the end, that first encounter with this buzzard came as great piece of luck for me - that week was my last week in Kinshasa, after a two-year of enjoyable stay; and that week resulted with a series of these and a series of shots with Black Vieillot's weaver as well... and those canaries, too... and my discovery of pleasures of bird-watching - yes, for my part, that final click happened in Congo; and I was able to leave the country with a humble 'starter' collection and great memories...
4 Comments
Wonderful photos of this handsome bird Ziatan. Thanks.
Hi guys, thanks for nomination and comments.
Very nice!! Congratulations.
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated Zlatan!