Photo: Giles Laurent / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Grasshopper Buzzard
Butastur rufipennis
Grasshopper Buzzard (Butastur rufipennis) — Birds of Prey of Africa.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Grasshopper Buzzard (Butastur rufipennis) is a member of the Accipitridae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 335 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Accipitriformes
- Family Accipitridae Kites, Hawks, Eagles
- Genus Butastur
- Species rufipennis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 335 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Grasshopper Buzzard is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Grasshopper Buzzard is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Grasshopper Buzzard (Butastur rufipennis) belongs to the Accipitridae family of the order Accipitriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF Senegal and Gambia to Somalia and n Tanzania.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 335 g, with a wing length of about 31.1 cm and a tail of around 18.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 3.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Grasshopper Buzzard?
The Grasshopper Buzzard is a large bird that weighs around 335 g.
Where does the Grasshopper Buzzard live?
The Grasshopper Buzzard is found across Africa with a range covering AF Senegal and Gambia to Somalia and n Tanzania, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Grasshopper Buzzard belong to?
The Grasshopper Buzzard (Butastur rufipennis) belongs to the Accipitridae family, in the order Accipitriformes.
What does the Grasshopper Buzzard eat?
The Grasshopper Buzzard is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Grasshopper Buzzard migrate?
The Grasshopper Buzzard is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Grasshopper Buzzard endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Grasshopper Buzzard make?
1 real field recording of the Grasshopper Buzzard — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Grasshopper Buzzard's range?
The Grasshopper Buzzard has a mapped global range of about 3.6 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Accipitridae
A field guide to the Accipitridae family — 254 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.