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Butastur rufipennis (Sundevall, 1850) LITERATURE. — Bannerman (1931); Green & Sayer (1979); Holyoak & Seddon (1989); Thonnérieux et al. (1989); Dowsett (1993); Balanca & de Visscher (1996); Balanca & de Visscher (1997); Weesie & Belemsobgo (1997); Mauvais (1998); Borrow & Demey (2001, 2014); Portier (2002c); Portier et al. (2002); Thiollay (2006a, b); Balanca et al. (2007); Sinclair & Ryan (2010); Pavia et al. (2012); Dowsett et al. (2013). MUSEUM MATERIAL. — MCCI 2179; SMF 12186 to 12189, 12191 to 12193, 12263. FIELD DATA. — eBird; GBIF; WABD. STATUS. — Afrotropical migrant., Published as part of Boano, Giovanni, Belemsobgo, Urbain, Silvano, Fabrizio, Hema, Emmanuel M., Belemsobgo, Aristide, Dimobe, Kangbéni & Pavia, Marco, 2022, An annotated checklist of the birds of Burkina Faso, pp. 27-107 in Zoosystema 44 (2) on page 62, DOI: 10.5252/zoosystema2022v44a2, http://zenodo.org/record/5999691, {"references":["BANNERMAN D. A. 1931. - Liste des oiseaux observes en 1928 par M. G. - L. Bates pendant son voyage du Nord de la Nigerie au Senegal, a travers le Soudan Francais et les territoires du Haut-Niger et de la Haute-Volta. L'Oiseau et la Revue francaise d'ornithologie NS 1: 594 - 617.","GREEN A. A. & SAYER J. A. 1979. - The birds of Pendjari and Arly National Parks (Benin and Upper Volta). Malimbus 1: 14 - 28.","HOLYOAK D. T. & SEDDON M. B. 1989. - Distributional notes on the birds of Burkina Faso. Bulletin of the British ornithologists' Club 109: 205 - 216. https: // doi. org / 10.25226 / bboc. v 139 i 2.2019. a 7","THONNERIEUX Y., WALSH J. F. & BORTOLI L. 1989. - L'avifaune de la ville de Ouagadougou et ses environs (Burkina Faso). Malimbus 11: 7 - 39.","DOWSETT R. J. 1993. - Afrotropical avifaunas: annotated country checklists, in DOWSETT R. J. & DOWSETT- LEMAIRE F. (eds). A Contribution to the Distribution and Taxonomy of Afrotropical and Malagasy birds Tauraco Research Report 5, Tauraco Press, Liege: 1 - 322.","BALANCA G. & DE VISSCHER M. - N. 1996. - Observations sur la reproduction et les deplacements du Rollier d'Abyssinie Coracias abyssinica, du Rollier varie C. naevia et du Rolle africain Eurystomus glaucurus, au nord du Burkina Faso. Malimbus 18: 44 - 57.","BALANCA G. & DE VISSCHER M. - N. 1997. - Composition et evolution saisonniere d'un peuplement d'oiseaux au nord du Burkina Faso (Nord-Yatenga). Malimbus 19: 68 - 94.","WEESIE P. D. M. & BELEMSOBGO U. 1997. - Les rapaces diurnes du Ranch de Gibier de Nazinga (Burkina Faso): liste commentee, analyse du peuplement et cadre biogeographique. Alauda 65: 263 - 278.","MAUVAIS G. 1998. - Recensement des especes d'oiseaux de Bois de Boulogne a Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) en saison de pluie. Alauda 66: 324 - 328.","BORROW N. & DEMEY R. 2001. - Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, 832 p.","BORROW N. & DEMEY R. 2014. - Field Guide of the Birds of Western Africa. II edition. Christopher Helm, London, 592 p.","PORTIER B. 2002 c. - Liste de l'avifaune du Ranch de Gibier de Nazinga. http: // environnement. wallonie. be / projet _ nazinga / PDF / Liste _ oiseaux _ Nazinga. pdf.","PORTIER B., LUNGREN C. & OUEDA G. H. 2002. - Birding in Burkina Faso, more than just birdwatching. Dutch Birding 24: 127 - 141.","THIOLLAY J. - M. 2006 a. - Large Bird Declines with Increasing Human Pressure in Savanna Woodlands (Burkina Faso). Biodiversity and Conservation 15: 2085 - 2108. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / s 10531 - 004 - 6684 - 3","BALANCA G., CORNELIS D. & WILSON R. 2007. - Les oiseaux du complexe WAP. ECOPAS. Cirad, Montpellier.","SINCLAIR I. & RYAN P. 2010. - Birds of Africa south of the Sahara. II edition. Struik Nature, Cape Town, 768 p.","PAVIA M., BOANO G., SILVANO F. & MAMADOU K. 2012. - New bird records from southwestern Burkina Faso. Malimbus 34: 57 - 81.","DOWSETT R. J., ATKINSON P. W. & CADDICK J. A. 2013. - Checklist of the birds of Burkina Faso: 1 - 12. https: // www. africanbirdclub. org / [accessed 14 October 2013]."]}

Raptor populations in Sudano-Sahelian West Africa are being severely affected by widespread habitat alteration which depletes prey populations, potentially aggravated by changing rainfall patterns. We studied Grasshopper Buzzards Butastur rufipennis at nests in natural and transformed habitats in the Sudano-Sahelian region of northern Cameroon to assess the effects of habitat transformation and rainfall on nestling diet and growth. Grasshoppers and small mammals were more frequently taken in natural habitat, whereas lizards were most frequently taken in transformed habitats. These dietary differences reflected differences in prey availability around nests in natural and transformed habitats. Land use was a significant predictor of asymptotic weight: nestlings in natural habitat attained a higher mass than those in transformed habitats, when potentially confounding variables such as hatch order, gender, hatch date, rainfall or the presence of siblings were taken into consideration. These results suggest that body condition at fledging was habitat-dependent, with potential consequences for subsequent survival. However, we recorded no differences in caloric content of food delivered to nests in natural and transformed habitat, which was possibly related to prey caught during twilight hours. There was a positive relationship between precipitation levels during the nestling phase and nestling growth rate. We predict unfavourable future conditions for nestling growth of raptors in Sudano-Sahelian savannas as a consequence of continued widespread habitat transformation and diminished rainfall.

Our aim was to investigate how ecologically similar species with different evolutionary adaptations may coexist in a moist Guinean savanna, which is the optimal habitat of the Lizard Buzzard Kaupifalco monogrammicus whereas the Grey Kestrel Falco ardosiaceus and the Grasshopper Buzzard Butastur rufipennis are of more Sudanian origin. Activity budgets, foraging behaviour and success were assessed by focal sampling and were related to habitat parameters and prey availability. Each species had its own daily foraging pattern which seemed to be related to the activity patterns of their main prey, grasshoppers or lizards. Interspecific habitat segregation reflected their morphological and behavioural adaptations and their respective tolerance to grass height, the most important factor in habitat selection. The resident Lizard Buzzard selected the densest woodlands, whereas the Grey Kestrel was restricted to the most open areas and the dry season migrant Grasshopper Buzzard to intermediate, recently burnt, savanna types. The main foraging variables (perch height, inter-perch distance and frequency of moves) differed significantly between species. Maximum detection distances increased with perch height but decreased with increasing grass cover. Perch height was lower when the grass became too high. When attack rates increased, birds tended to move more often, but for shorter distances, and stayed longer within restricted patches. The highly insectivorous Grasshopper Buzzard had the highest and least variable attack rates, negatively correlated with grass height. It exhibited a behaviour typical of a migrant—superficial and opportunistic exploitation of superabundant, easily accessible, and seasonal food sources. Conversely, the residents were associated with denser, more stable habitats and larger, less abundant, but more predictable prey.

Phylogenetic relationships among birds of prey in the subfamily Buteoninae are not fully established but are of particular interest because the Buteoninae constitute one of the largest accipitrid subgroups and include multiple species of conservation concern. Genera previously included within the Buteoninae are Buteo, Leucopternis, Buteogallus, Harpyhaliaetus, Busarellus, Parabuteo, Geranoaetus, Geranospiza, Ictinia, Rostrhamus, Kaupifalco, and Butastur. We analyzed representatives from all buteonine genera and most non-Buteo (i.e., "sub-buteo") species with >3,000 bases of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA and found non-monophyly for the nominal genera Buteo, Buteogallus, and Leucopternis. The Old World Lizard Buzzard (Kaupifalco monogrammicus) is not closely related to buteonine taxa but is sister to goshawks in the genera Melierax, Micronisus, and Urotriorchis. Another Old World genus, Butastur, is sister to the clade including all other buteonine genera mentioned above. Investigation of several "...

1) The breeding of the Grey-faced Buzzard Eagle Butastur indices was studied in a mountainious region of central Japan during 1977-1980.2) Mean laying and hatching dates of the first egg were 29 April and 31 May, respectively. The clutch size averaged 2.7 with a range of 2-4. Hatching success was 83%.3) The initial and final brood sizes averaged 2.5 and 2.4, respectively. The average number of fledglings per active nest was 1.9. Mean fledging date of the first young was 5 July. The length of the nestling period averaged 36 days. Fledging success was 78%.4) Of 66 nests examined, at least 64 (97%) contained eggs, 60 (91%) contained hatchlings, and 52 (79%) produced fledglings.5) 21% of nests failed to produce fledglings. Predation and nest collapse caused by breakage of dead branches supporting the nest were the most important factors.6) There were no apparent differences in laying date, clutch and brood sizes, and nest success between years. This suggests a stable food supply during the study period. The rare occurrence of unhatched eggs and of nestling mortality through sibling aggression may indicate a favourable food condition in the study area.

The present paper gives an account of observations of the passerine birds nesting in associa-tion with some species of birds of prey in central Honshu in 1968-84.1) Of 11 nests of Grey-faced Buzzrard-eagles Butastur indicus, Tree Sparrows Passer montanus, which normally do not occur in the nesting site of Butastur, were frequently observed at 9 nests;9 nests of Tree Sparrows were also found within a radius of several meters of 4 nests of Butastur.Moreover, the Tree Sparrows occurred there only from mid-May to early July, the period of breeding of Butastur.2) Of 6 nests of Honey Buzzards Pernis apivorus, 4 nests were associated with the breeding of the sparrows, whose 2 nests were found very close to the nests of the buzzards.3) At 10 nests of Japanese Lesser Sparrowhawks Accipiter gularis, flocks of Azure-winged Magpies Cyanopica cyana were often observed and 7 nests of the magpies were found within a radius of 10 m at 5 nests of Accipiter.The other 2 nests of the sparrowhawks were abandoned before the magpie started to breed.However, before the abandonment the magpies often visited the nesting sites of the sparrowhawks.5) No passerine birds were observed to breed at or close to 19 nests of Goshawks Accipiper gentilis.

Stomach contents of the following 12 species, 202 individuals of hawks collected by the sinior author during 1924-1937 in nothern part of Japan were analysed by the junior author: Falco peregrinus(5), F. columbarius(6), F tinnunculus(13), Buteo buteo(57) Spizaetus nipalensis(6), Circus aeruginosus(5), Accipiter gentilis(14), A. nisus(41), A. virgatus(23), Milvus migrans(15), Pernis apivorus(12), and Butastur iudicus(6), The specimens were collected throughout the year but more in winter except from some buzzards, goshawks, sparrow-hawks, honey buzzards and buzzard-hawks, the last two being summer visitors.The result can be shown by the table below:It is to be noted that although many passerine birds are taken by these hawks, the Tree Sparrow, which is the seasonal pest to rice crops, far more outnumbered other species; for example, it occupied 73% of the diet of Sparrow-hawk, Accipiter nisus.

The flock-migration of birds of prey has only been known in Butastur in Japan. But the writer observed about 1, 500 Japanese Honey Buzzards migrating over Mt. Adachi in Kokura City on September 23, 1961. On the same day 50 migrating birds were observed over Moji by Mr. Takahashi, and on October 15 the writer also observed 11 at Saganoseki, Oita Prefecture. These observations suggest its migratory route figured in Fig. 1.

Few studies have examined raptor reproduction in response to land-use change in sub-Saharan Africa, hampering conservation efforts to address regional declines. To further our understanding of mechanisms underlying the dramatic declines of West African raptors, we examined the relationship between environmental conditions, nest density, and measures of reproduction in the Grasshopper Buzzard (Butastur rufipennis). Analyses were based on 244 nest sites divided between transformed and natural habitat in northern Cameroon. At the landscape scale, nest density increased with the density of preferred nest trees. Nests were more widely spaced in transformed than in natural habitat. Dispersion was adjusted to differences in availability of small mammals, which was negatively associated with distance to nearest neighbor, and in the area under cultivation, which was positively associated with distance to nearest neighbor. Productivity was positively associated with rainfall, canopy shielding the nest, availability of grasshoppers, and the nest's visibility from ground level; canopy shielding, grass cover, rainfall, and distance to nearest neighbor were positively associated with nest success. In natural habitat, losses of eggs and nestlings to natural predators were greater than in transformed habitats, while losses through human predation were small. Productivity and nest success were unaffected by land use because of the opposing effects of greater predation pressure, closer spacing of nests, and more food in natural habitat than in transformed habitat. Thus transformed habitat may provide adequate breeding habitat for the Grasshopper Buzzard, but declining rainfall and intensifying anthropogenic land use are likely to affect future reproductive output.