Birds
Madagascar Buzzard
Buteo brachypterus · also called madagascar buzzards
Soaring on a rising column of warm air, a Madagascar buzzard scans farmland, grassland, and forest alike for prey, the most adaptable and widespread bird of prey found anywhere on the island.
Overview
The Madagascar buzzard, Buteo brachypterus, is a Least Concern raptor endemic to Madagascar, found across nearly the entire island in habitats ranging from rainforest to farmland. Its extraordinary adaptability, opportunistic hunting style, and status as the island’s most commonly encountered bird of prey make it one of the most successful raptors found anywhere in Madagascar.
A raptor for every habitat
While many of Madagascar’s birds of prey are tied to a specific habitat type, the Madagascar buzzard moves comfortably between rainforest, dry forest, grassland, and farmland alike, a flexibility that has made it the island’s most widespread raptor by a clear margin.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread and common across nearly all of Madagascar.
Madagascar Buzzard: common questions
Why is the Madagascar buzzard considered the island's most widespread raptor?
It is found in a wider range of habitats than any other Madagascar bird of prey, from dense rainforest and dry forest to open grassland, farmland, and even the edges of urban areas, across nearly the entire island.
What does the Madagascar buzzard eat?
It is a carnivore and opportunistic hunter, taking small mammals, reptiles, birds, and large insects depending on what is locally available.
How does the Madagascar buzzard hunt?
It frequently soars on rising warm air currents called thermals, scanning the ground below for prey before swooping down to catch it.
Is the Madagascar buzzard found anywhere outside Madagascar?
No, it is endemic to the island, found across nearly its entire extent and nowhere else.