📸 PhotoPhoto: NOZO · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source
Eastern Buzzard
Buteo japonicus (Eastern Buzzard · ノスリ)
💡 Everyday Comparisons for Size, Mass & Speed
- 💡 Its length of 59 cm is similar to a folded umbrella (about 60 cm) (Comparison).
- 💡 According to Hong Kong bird records, it has been observed resting on top of highway lampposts and also preys on rodents such as rats.
Reference standards: coach bus ~12 m, mid-size car ~4.9 m, compact car ~1 t, basketball hoop 3.05 m, credit card 8.56 cm.
📖 1. Overview
The eastern buzzard (Buteo japonicus) is a medium-sized bird of prey with a stocky body and broad wings. In Hong Kong, it is recorded as a common autumn passage migrant and winter visitor.
🦴 2. Anatomy & Morphology
Its length is 47–59 cm, with a compact body, broad wings, and a tail shorter than the width of its wings.
🔍 3. Ecology & Behavior
Records show it preying on grasshoppers, rats, and birds, including coots, bulbuls, and doves. In autumn it is commonly seen soaring over a wide range of habitats and also perches on highway lampposts to rest.
🇰🇷 4. Connection to Korea
It is listed on the National List of Species of Korea under the Korean name Malttonggari (Korean name), without an accompanying descriptive text.
📚 Sources & References
- • IUCN Red List LC (2021) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22732232/200958179
- • IUCN Red List category LC — latest assessment at iucnredlist.org
- • doi.org — avilist.v2026
- • iucnredlist.org — 200958179
- • 국가생물종목록(국립생물자원관) ktsn 120000528837 — https://species.nibr.go.kr/home/mainHome.do?cont_link=009&subMenu=009002&contCd=009002&ktsn=120000528837
- • wikidata.org — Q1152577
- • commons.wikimedia.org — File:Buteo japonicus1.jpg
- • avifauna.hkbws.org.hk — 026500
- • species.nibr.go.kr — mainHome.do
- • Silhouette: PhyloPic — Shyamal · CC BY 3.0 (Congeneric silhouette — Buteo)
Recorded dimensions are widely cited representative estimates from public literature and may vary by study or specimen.