Buteo augur
Silhouette: Lauren Anderson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The augur buzzard (Buteo augur) is a fairly large African bird of prey. This species is distinct in typical adult plumage for its blackish back, whitish underside and orange-red tail, while juvenile augur buzzards are generally rather brown in colour; however a dark morph is known, which causes the bird's entire body to become darker. This member of the Buteo genus is distributed in several parts of the central and southern Africa, normally being found from Ethiopia to southern Angola and central Namibia. It is resident and non-migratory throughout its range. This is a species of mountains (most typically at about 2,000 m (6,600 ft) altitude, but up to 5,000 m (16,000 ft)), and adjacent savannah and grassland. It is a typical buteonine raptor, being a generalist predator which tends to prefer small mammals supplemented by reptiles and birds among various prey items.
The taxonomy on this species is not settled, with some taxonomists considering this species, the jackal buzzard (Buteo rufofuscus), and Archer's buzzard (Buteo augur archeri) to be within the same superspecies. As noted by taxonomists, each species is fairly distinct, having different calls and variations... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nairobi | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Kigali | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 3 | Addis Ababa | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ZooParc de Beauval | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | World Bird Sanctuary | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Reptile Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Donjon des aigles | 🇫🇷 France |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Augur Buzzard sighting in Masai Mara National Reserve on a given day, based on 295 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 143rd most-seen of the 398 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February and March
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Augur Buzzard in Masai Mara National Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in December, the lowest month.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Augur Buzzard sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
14th of 29
Of the 29 parks where we can rate Augur Buzzard sightings, Masai Mara National Reserve ranks 14th at about 10%. The best odds are in Bale Mountains National Park (Ethiopia, about 80%), Lake Nakuru National Park (Kenya, about 70%) and Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Tanzania, about 60%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Augur Buzzard is recorded against all the birds logged in Masai Mara National Reserve (295 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
