392 FALCONID^. 



Distribution. S.E, Europe, N.E. Africa, S.W. Asia, and Western 

 Central Asia. In India this Buzzard is found throughout the 

 Himalayas as far east as Sikbim and, in the cold season, abun- 

 dantly in the N.W. Provinces, Oudh, Eajputana, Sind, and the 

 Punjab, but only an occasional straggler finds its way farther east 

 or south. There is, however, one skin in the Hume collection 

 from llaipur, and a few occurrences are recorded from the Deccan. 



Habits, 6fc. Migratory, visiting North-western India from 

 October to March, and very abundant in desert and semi-desert 

 tracts, where it lives mainly on the Indian Desert Gerbille 

 {Gerbillus hurriance). It is also common in marshy ground, and 

 it feeds on frogs, rats, mice, lizards, and large insects. It is a 

 sluggish bird, solitary, by no means shy, and generally to be seen 

 perched on a low tree, or bush, or the ground during the day ; it 

 flies about very often in the evening and, according to Mr. A. 

 Anderson, has somewhat crepuscular habits. Many breed in the 

 Himalayas and Central Asia, a few in the Northern Punjab, about 

 March and April ; the nest is a loose structure of sticks lined 

 with wool, rags, or dead leaves, placed either on a tree or on a 

 cliff. The eggs, 2 to 4 in number, are broad regular ovals, 

 greenish white richly blotched with reddish brown, and measure 

 about 2-3 by 1-8. 



1240. Buteo leucocephalus. The Upland Buzzard. 



Butaquila leucocephala, Hodtjs. in Gray's Zool, Misc. p. 81 (1844), 



descr. nulla. 

 Buteo leucocephalus, Hodgs. P. Z. S. 1845, p. 37 ; Gurney, List 



Diurn. Birds of Prey, pp. 62, 134 ; Hume, Cat. no. 46. 

 Buteo aquilinus, Hodys., Bh/th, J. A. 8. B. xiv, p. 176 (1845) ; xv, 



p. 2; Jerdon, B. I. i, p.* 90; id. Ibis, 1871, p. 339; Hume 8r 



Henders. Luh. to Yark. p. 175 ; Hume, S. F. iv, p. 366. 

 Buteo hemilasius, Temm. ^- Schl. Faun. Japan., Aves, p. 18, pi. vii 



(1845-50) ; Schler/. Mas. P.-B. ii, Buteones, p. 3 ; Sharpe, Cat. 



B. M. \, p. 182 ; Gurney, Ibis, 1876, p. 309. 

 Buteo asiaticus. Lath, apud BIyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 244 ; Hume, Rough 



Notes, p. 283. 

 Buteo ferox, ap>ud Sharpe, Cat. B. M. p. 178, pt., pi. viii ; nee Gmel. 



Nearly allied to B. ferox, but larger, and as a rule greyer above ; 

 the bill and feet larger and the claws more powerful ; the tarsus is 

 feathered in front for two-thirds of its length, and the naked 

 terminal third is covered with small or moderate-sized scales, not 

 with transverse scutse ; the tarsus is generally scute! late behind, 

 but less than in other Buzzards, and is sometimes reticulated 

 throughout. 



Coloration above rather pale greyish brown, with more or less 

 rufous on the feathers of the nape and upper back, scapulars, 

 wing-coverts, and upper tail-coverts ; white bases of feathers often 

 conspicuous on the head and neck, which are sometimes white 

 streaked with brown ; quills as in B. ftrox, but there is no grey 

 on the outer webs of the primaries ; tail brown above, with dark 



