Himalayan Buzzard (Buteo refectus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

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

  1. PelelaBhutan164 records
  2. Balang Shan – Tunnel AreaChina126 records
  3. ChelelaBhutan120 records
More places
  1. Mahananda WLS – Rongtong and Shivakhola ForestIndia113 records
  2. Balang Shan [General Area]China111 records
  3. Sangla and AreaNepal108 records
  4. Baxi ForestChina87 records
  5. Doi Pha Hom Pok NP – Doi AngkhangThailand80 records
  6. PangotIndia73 records
  7. MengbishanChina72 records

Countries and regions with the most records

ChinaNepalBhutanIndiaThailandMyanmar (Burma)SingaporeCambodia

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

Family
Kites, Hawks, Eagles Accipitridae
Genus
Buteo

Other birds in the genus Buteo

Himalayan Buzzard

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by tandinwangchuk1. ↗

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