buteo
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 Light morph Red-tailed Hawk
(Buteo jamaicensis) |
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About 30, see text |
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Asturina |
Buteo[1] is a genus of medium-sized wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings. In the Old World, members of this genus are named as "buzzards", but "hawk" is used in North America. As both terms are very ambiguous, "buteos" is sometimes used instead, e.g. by the Peregrine Fund [1].
Species in taxonomic order
- Common Buzzard, Buteo buteo
- Cape Verde Buzzard, Buteo buteo bannermani
- Madeira Buzzard, Buteo buteo harterti
- Socotra Buzzard, Buteo buteo socotrae
- Steppe Buzzard, Buteo buteo vulpinus
- Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis
- Long-legged Buzzard, Buteo rufinus
- Rough-legged Buzzard, Buteo lagopus
- Ferruginous Hawk, Buteo regalis
- Red-shouldered Hawk, Buteo lineatus
- Broad-winged Hawk, Buteo platypterus
- Swainson's Hawk, Buteo swainsoni
- Roadside Hawk, Buteo magnirostris
- Ridgway's Hawk, Buteo ridgwayi
- White-rumped Hawk, Buteo leucorrhous
- Short-tailed Hawk, Buteo brachyurus
- White-throated Hawk, Buteo albigula
- White-tailed Hawk, Buteo albicaudatus
- Galápagos Hawk, Buteo galapagoensis
- Red-backed Hawk, Buteo polyosoma
- Puna Hawk, Buteo poecilochrous
- Grey-lined Hawk, Buteo nitidus - formerly in Asturina
- Grey Hawk, Buteo nitidus plagiatus
- Zone-tailed Hawk, Buteo albonotatus
- Hawaiian Hawk, Buteo solitarius
- Rufous-tailed Hawk, Buteo ventralis
- Mountain Buzzard, Buteo oreophilus
- Madagascar Buzzard, Buteo brachypterus
- Upland Buzzard, Buteo hemilasius
- Red-necked Buzzard, Buteo auguralis
- Augur Buzzard, Buteo augur
- Archer's Buzzard, Buteo archeri
- Jackal Buzzard, Buteo rufofuscus
Fossil record
A number of fossil species have been discovered in North America. Some are placed here mainly based on biogeography, Buteo being somewhat hard to distinguish from Geranoaetus based on osteology alone (Wetmore 1933):
- Buteo fluviaticus (Brule Middle Oligocene of Wealt County, USA) - possibly same as B. grangeri
- Buteo grangeri (Brule Middle Oligocene of Washabaugh County, USA)
- Buteo antecursor (Brule Late Oligocene)
- ?Buteo sp. (Brule Late Oligocene of Washington County, USA) - see Cracraft (1969)
- Buteo ales (Agate Fossil Beds Early Miocene of Sioux County, USA) - formerly in Geranospiza or Geranoaetus
- Buteo typhoius (Olcott Early -? Late Miocene of Sioux County, USA)
- Buteo contortus (Snake Creek Late Miocene of Sioux County, USA) - formerly in Geranoaetus
- Buteo conterminus (Snake Creek Late Miocene/Early Pliocene of Sioux County, USA) - formerly in Geranoaetus
- Buteo musculosus (Miocene of Argentina) - formerly in Thegornis
- Buteo sp. (Late Miocene/Early Pliocene of Lee Creek Mine, USA)
An unidentifiable accipitrid that occurred in the Late Pliocene/Early Pleistocene of Ibiza may also have been a Buteo (Alcover 1989). If this is so, the bird can be expected to aid in untangling the complicated evolutionary history of the Common Buzzard group.
The prehistoric species "Aquila" danana (Miocene), Buteogallus fragilis (Fragile Eagle, Late Pleistocene), and Spizaetus grinnelli (Late Pleistocene) were at one time also placed in Buteo (Wetmore 1933).
References
- Alcover, Josep Antoni (1989): Les Aus fòssils de la Cova de Ca Na Reia. Endins 14-15: 95-100. [In Catalan with English abstract]
- Cracraft, Joel (1969): Notes on fossil hawks (Accipitridae). Auk 86(2): 353-354. PDF fulltext
- Wetmore, Alexander (1933): Status of the Genus Geranoaëtus. Auk 50(2): 212. PDF fulltext
Footnotes
- ^ Etymology: Buteo is the Latin name of the Common Buzzard.
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