
Himalayan Buzzard
Buteo refectus Portenko, 1935
≈53 cmLength759 gWeight
This medium to large Himalayan raptor was formerly treated as a subspecies of Eastern Buzzard.
Busiest months: November–March · Most records: China, Nepal, Bhutan
How to identify
Where and when it's recorded
Himalayan Buzzard has been recorded at 320 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 8 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- PelelaBhutan164 records
- Balang Shan – Tunnel AreaChina126 records
- ChelelaBhutan120 records
More places
- Mahananda WLS – Rongtong and Shivakhola ForestIndia113 records
- Balang Shan [General Area]China111 records
- Sangla and AreaNepal108 records
- Baxi ForestChina87 records
- Doi Pha Hom Pok NP – Doi AngkhangThailand80 records
- PangotIndia73 records
- MengbishanChina72 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
Questions
How big is the Himalayan Buzzard?
The Himalayan Buzzard is about ≈53 cm long and weighs around 759 g.
Where does the Himalayan Buzzard live?
Its breeding range: Oriental: Himalayas. It is most often recorded in China, Nepal and Bhutan.
When is the best time to see the Himalayan Buzzard?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February, March, November and December (Northern Hemisphere).
What does the Himalayan Buzzard eat?
Main food: Vertebrate prey.
What family is the Himalayan Buzzard in?
It belongs to the family Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae), order Accipitriformes.
At a glance
- Length
- ≈53 cm
- Weight
- 759 g
- Habitat
- Grassland
- Diet
- Vertebrate prey
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Partial migrant
More measurements
- Wing
- 346 mm
- Tail
- 173 mm
- Bill
- 33 mm
- Tarsus
- 65 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Oriental: Himalayas
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Kites, Hawks, Eagles Accipitridae
- Genus
- Buteo
Other birds in the genus Buteo
Grey HawkButeo plagiatus
Grey-lined HawkButeo nitidus
Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterus
Red-shouldered HawkButeo lineatus
Ridgway's HawkButeo ridgwayi
Zone-tailed HawkButeo albonotatus
Hawaiian HawkButeo solitarius
White-throated HawkButeo albigula
Short-tailed HawkButeo brachyurus
Swainson's HawkButeo swainsoni
Galapagos HawkButeo galapagoensis
Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by tandinwangchuk1. ↗
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