African Wildlife & Environment Issue 76 FINAL

BIRDING

The Forest Buzzard Buteo trizonatus is most readily seen on the coastal strip between George and Humansdorp in the southeast, where there is a mix of natural forest (Afromontane) and alien plantations, which is their main breeding range. There is no evidence that they breed in the north east, where they are thought to be winter migrants. The sexes are alike. The crown of the Forest Buzzard is warm brown, sparsely streaked whitish, the hind neck streaked brown and whitish, merging into a uniform dark brown mantle, back, rump and upper tail coverts. The tail is brown, finely barred darker brown; the upper wing is brown; flight feathers grey-brown with dark brown sub- terminal bank; underwing mainly whitish, spotted dark brown. Underparts white, streaked and blotched rufous or dark brown on upper breast and lower belly. Undertail whitish with fine brown bars. The bill is blackish, cere and gape yellow, eyes brown with legs and feet yellow. The voice is a shrill “pee-ooo" or “ieeeoo", given in display and during aggressive interactions. They are normally solitary or in pairs, generally unobtrusive, perching on large branches, often partly concealed by the tree canopy. Sometimes perches on open branches and poles at forest edge or edge of clearing. They forage along forest edges, and within forests and plantation, hunting mainly from a perch and dropping onto prey. Mammalian prey include the Vlei Rat, Striped Mouse and golden moles. Avian prey includes Knysna Turaco, smaller francolins, SombreGreenbul andYellow- crowned Bishop. Reptilian prey includes house- and water snakes, chameleons, and lizards. They also have on their menu frogs, grasshoppers, beetles, wasps and scorpions. They breed from August to November, are monogamous, with display flights over forest canopy. The Forest Buzzard is endemic to South Africa. It is confined to the southern and eastern parts of the country, very scattered from the Cape Peninsular to Limpopo Province. In the Western Cape it occurs down to sea level, while in the north east it is confined to the higher, inland areas, especially along the Great Escarpment and adjacent highlands where alien plantations have been established. The true status of the Forest Buzzard is difficult to assess accurately, and it may well have been under-recorded in the Atlas projects. The majestic FOREST BUZZARD THE LATEWILLIE FRONEMAN PHOTOGRAPHS ALBERT FRONEMAN www.wildlifephotography.co.za

They are solitary nesters, building a platform of sticks, lined with green leaves and pine needles. A clutch is two oval greenish-white eggs, variably marked in red, rust- brown and grey. The incubation period is unrecorded; nestling period is around 47 days and the young are presumably fed by both sexes. Older nestlings use their feet to hold prey and to pick up food, and self-feed by 30 days. Post-fledging dependence period is 105 days. The Forest Buzzard is not threatened and may indeed have undergone local range expansion due to the proliferation of exotic timber plantations. The discoveryof 'mysterybuzzards' breeding in theCape (see Africa Birds & Birding , June-July 2007: 48-50) has given rise to speculation that these are hybrids, and if so, one may wonder about the implications for the long-term survival of the endemic Forest Buzzard. The most likely explanation is that some migratory Steppe Buzzards Buteo buteo are remaining behind and are hybridising with the Forest Buzzard. Genetic studies indicate that these two species have only recently diverged from one another, and it is therefore quite possible that the two could hybridise.

27 | African Wildlife & Environment | Issue 76 (2020)