• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Climate Change maps
• Reference and further resources

Justification of Red List category
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (extent of occurrence <20,000 km² combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Population justification
The global population is estimated at well over 10,000 pairs which equates to 20,000 mature individuals (Thiollay 2000). The species is reported to be generally common and locally abundant in some areas (Ferguson-Lees & Christie 2001), outnumbering all other raptors except Black Kite Milvus migrans (Thiollay 2000). It is placed in the band 20,000-49,999 mature individuals.

Trend justification
The population is suspected to be in decline locally owing to over-grazing and drought (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001). A decline in non-breeding visitors to Kenya has been observed (Thiollay 2000). A decline in individuals counted during the dry season was also observed in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger during 1969-2004, although it should be noted that this may be due to differences in the timing of migration between years rather than a population decline (Thiollay 2006).

Buij et al. (2013) found that nestling condition was adversely affected by environmental conditions in Sudano-Sahelian West Africa including overgrazing and deforestation. Reductions in rainfall in West Africa pose a future threat (Buij et al. 2013). Spraying for locusts could pose a threat, however the species is not known to be vulnerable to pesticides (Kemp et al. 2013). Buij et al. (2016) recorded a total of 63 carcasses of this species at bushmeat and fetish markets in Benin, Burkino Faso, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria during 1990-2013.

Conservation actions underway
The species is listed on CITES Appendix II, CMS Appendix II and Raptors MoU Category 2.

Text account compilers
Haskell, L.

Contributors
Butchart, S., Ashpole, J & Ekstrom, J.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Grasshopper Buzzard Butastur rufipennis. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/grasshopper-buzzard-butastur-rufipennis on 22/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/11/2024.