Grey-faced Buzzard

Identification

The grey-faced buzzard is a small raptor, typically 41–46 cm (16–18 in) in length. Adults are distinctive, with a grey head, breast and neck contrasting against a white throat, black moustaches and facial stripes, brown back and upperwings, and brown bars on white underparts and underwings. Males and females are identical in coloration. The wings are pointed and narrow with thin, translucent-looking feathers in flight. The tail is ashy brown with horizontal barring, and the iris is bright yellow. Juveniles are less distinctive, showing brown and mottled plumage above, pale underparts with brown streaks, a broad white supercilium, and brown face markings.

Range & Habitat

The grey-faced buzzard breeds across Manchuria, Korea and Japan, with the majority found in Japan, particularly in Satoyama—a landscape of diverse habitats including woodlands, paddy-fields, streams and grasslands. In its breeding range, it inhabits coniferous and mixed evergreen forests in mountains, forest edges, fields, meadows, marshes and agricultural lands. The species winters in South-east Asia, particularly Indochina, Malaysia and the Philippines. Taiwan lies on a major migration route, where large numbers pass through in spring and autumn, with some individuals overwintering on Lanyu Island.

Behaviour & Diet

During breeding season, males spend up to 90% of their day perched and searching for prey, typically hunting from a perch about 500 metres from the nest. They employ a search-and-ambush hunting strategy from trees and utility poles overlooking open habitats such as rice fields and clearings. The species feeds on lizards, small mammals, large insects, frogs, crustaceans and occasionally other birds. Diet varies seasonally and by foraging location: in paddy fields, frogs and small mammals predominate; in levees and grass-arable fields, a diverse range including snakes is taken; in woodlands, insects and frogs are favoured.

Best Time & Places to See It

Grey-faced buzzards arrive in their Japanese breeding grounds from late March to early April and depart on autumn migration from late September to mid-October. Taiwan offers excellent viewing opportunities along the Hengchun Peninsula in October, when large numbers migrate southward, and in late March and early April along the terraced mountains of Taichung and Changhua, when birds move northward. The species is a common spring and summer migrant throughout Taiwan. Satoyama habitat in Japan is particularly productive during the breeding season.

Photography Tips

Photograph perched birds during midday when males are actively hunting—look for them on exposed perches near open fields and paddy-fields. The yellow iris and facial markings are distinctive field marks worth capturing in detail. During migration, position yourself along known flyways such as Taiwan's Hengchun Peninsula or mountain passes in Taichung and Changhua for flight shots. The pointed, narrow wings and translucent feathers are striking in-flight characteristics best photographed against clear skies. Early morning and late afternoon light will enhance the grey head and rich brown upperparts.