CreatureData

Long-legged buzzard

Buteo rufinus (Cretzschmar, 1829)

LCLeast Concernbirds of prey

The long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus) is a species in the family Accipitridae, order Accipitriformes. Recorded adults weigh 1.04 kg to 1.31 kg and live up to 8.5 years. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

Long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus)
Photo: Koshy Koshy from Faridabad, Haryana, India · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the long-legged buzzard

Weight
1.04 kg – 1.31 kgsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
8.5 yearssrc for Lifespan
Diet
Carnivoresrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
grasslandsrc for Habitat
Egg incubation
33 dayssrc for Egg incubation
Young per litter or clutch
2.8 – 3.25src for Young per litter or clutch
Age at maturity
23.9 monthssrc for Age at maturity
Litters or clutches a year
1src for Litters or clutches a year
Lifestyle
Generalistsrc for Lifestyle
Migration
Migratorysrc for Migration
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Photos of the long-legged buzzard

Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.

Long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus)
Francesco Veronesi from Italy · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Where does the long-legged buzzard live?

Not recorded

What is the long-legged buzzard?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus) is a bird of prey found widely in several parts of Eurasia and in North Africa. This species ranges from Southeastern Europe down to East Africa to the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. The long-legged buzzard is a member of the genus Buteo, being one of the larger species therein. This species is simultaneously considered relatively powerful and aggressive for its taxonomic group as well as a relatively sluggish raptor overall. Like most buzzards, it prefers small mammals such as rodents, including gerbils, ground squirrels, voles and rats, also taking reptiles, birds and insects as well as carrion. Adaptable to a variety of habitats, long-legged buzzards may nest on a variety of surfaces, including rocks, cliffs and trees. It is a typical buzzard in its reproductive biology. The long-legged buzzard is widely distributed and appears to be quite stable in population. Therefore, it is considered as Least Concern by the IUCN.

From the Wikipedia article “Long-legged buzzard” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Long-legged_buzzard&oldid=1377702628), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the long-legged buzzard endangered?

The long-legged buzzard is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.

How is the long-legged buzzard classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classAves
  4. orderAccipitriformes
  5. familyAccipitridae
  6. genusButeo
  7. SpeciesButeo rufinus (Cretzschmar, 1829)

Synonyms Accipiter ferox, Butaquila leucocephala, Buteo ferox, Buteo rufiventer, Falco rufinus

Other names and names in other languages (42)
  • LangbeenjakkalsvoëlAfrikaans
  • حوام طويل الساقينArabic
  • Канюк-курганнiкBelarusian
  • Белоопашат мишеловBulgarian
  • Baou rousBreton
  • aligot rogencCatalan
  • káně bělochvostáCzech
  • bwncath hirgoesWelsh
  • ØrnevågeDanish
  • AdlerbussardGerman
  • ΑετογερακίναGreek
  • aglobuteoEsperanto
  • Busardo moroSpanish
  • stepiviuEstonian
  • سارگپه پابلندPersian
  • arohiirihaukkaFinnish
  • Buse féroceFrench
  • Clowan liauyr-lurgaghManx
  • עקב עיטיHebrew
  • riđi škanjacCroatian
  • pusztai ölyvHungarian
  • ArnvákurIcelandic
  • Poiana codabiancaItalian
  • ニシオオノスリJapanese
  • stepinis suopisLithuanian
  • garkāju klijānsLatvian
  • лисест глувчарMacedonian
  • ArendbuizerdDutch
  • ørnvåkNorwegian
  • kurhannikPolish
  • bútio-mouroPortuguese
  • bútio-mouriscoPortuguese
  • Şorecar mareRomanian
  • КурганникRussian
  • GoaskinboaimmášNorthern Sami
  • myšiak hrdzavýSlovak
  • rjasta kanjaSlovenian
  • Riđi mišarSerbian
  • örnvråkSwedish
  • Kızıl ŞahinTurkish
  • канюк степовийUkrainian
  • 棕尾鵟Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaTAXREFWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List

Relatives of the long-legged buzzard

Other species in the same genus Buteo.

Macaw

Buteo jamaicensis

AccipitridaeNo free photo yet

Hen hawk

Buteo lineatus

AccipitridaeNo free photo yet

CompareLong-legged buzzard vs Common buzzardLong-legged buzzard vs Rough-legged buzzardLong-legged buzzard vs MacawLong-legged buzzard vs Upland buzzard

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the long-legged buzzard?

An adult long-legged buzzard weighs 1.04 kg – 1.31 kg, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the long-legged buzzard endangered?

The long-legged buzzard is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

How long does the long-legged buzzard live?

The long-legged buzzard has a recorded lifespan of 8.5 years.

What kind of animal is the long-legged buzzard?

The long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus) belongs to the family Accipitridae in the order Accipitriformes.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/long-legged-buzzard

MLA

“Long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/long-legged-buzzard.

BibTeX
@misc{long_legged_buzzard_2026,
  title = {Long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/long-legged-buzzard},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}