LC
Grey-faced Buzzard Butastur indicus



Taxonomy

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2021 Least Concern
2016 Least Concern
2013 Least Concern
2012 Least Concern
2009 Least Concern
2008 Least Concern
2004 Least Concern
2000 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988 Lower Risk/Least Concern
Species attributes

Migratory status full migrant Forest dependency medium
Land-mass type Average mass -
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 3,280,000 km2 medium
Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) 14,300,000 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size unknown poor suspected 2009
Population trend decreasing - suspected -
Generation length 5.05 years - - -

Population justification: There is very little data available on population size or trends for this species. Based on migratory concentrations and the size of the breeding range, Ferguson-Lees & Christie (2001) estimated the population to exceed 100,000 individuals. Large numbers have been counted on migration, including 53,575 at the Miyako islands, Japan in 1980 (Unpublished data, cited in DeCandido et al. 2004); c.32,000 in Japan in 1999 (Nitani 2000); and 14,962 in Thailand in 2003 (DeCandido 2004).

Trend justification: The population is suspected to be declining locally owing to ongoing persecution and loss and degradation of breeding and foraging habitats (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001). Declines have been recorded in Japan - the species was found on 28 survey units in the 1970s but none in the 1990s (Ueta et al. 2006). These declines have been linked to habitat loss as a result of abandonment or development of traditional paddy fields (Ueta et al. 2006), and a loss of prey due to modernisation of drainage systems (Fujita et al. 2015). The Russian population is also suspected to be undergoing a significant decline due to persecution along migration routes (Orta & Marks 2020). Declines in Northeast China have been linked to habitat loss caused by forest management for timber production and farmland reclamation (Deng et al. 2003).


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Brunei extant native yes
Cambodia extant native yes
China (mainland) extant native yes yes
Hong Kong (China) extant native yes
Indonesia extant native yes
Japan extant native yes
Laos extant native yes
Malaysia extant native yes
Mongolia extant vagrant
Myanmar extant native yes
North Korea extant native yes
Philippines extant native yes
Russia extant native yes
Russia (Asian) extant native yes
Singapore extant native yes
South Korea extant native yes
Taiwan, China extant native yes
Thailand extant native yes
Timor-Leste extant native yes yes
Vietnam extant native yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name
Japan Hachirogata
Japan Mounts Zao and Funagata
North Korea Mount Chilbo
North Korea Mount Kuwol
North Korea Mount Myohyang
Russia (Asian) Kievka and Chernaya river basins
Russia (Asian) Middle reaches of the Iman river

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Artificial/Aquatic - Irrigated Land (includes irrigation channels) suitable resident
Artificial/Terrestrial Arable Land suitable resident
Artificial/Terrestrial Pastureland suitable resident
Artificial/Terrestrial Plantations suitable resident
Forest Temperate suitable resident
Wetlands (inland) Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands suitable resident
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) suitable resident
Altitude 0 - 2000 m Occasional altitudinal limits  

Threats & impact
Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Agro-industry farming Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Motivation Unknown/Unrecorded Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Species mortality
Biological resource use Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (large scale) [harvest] Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Natural system modifications Dams & water management/use - Abstraction of surface water (unknown use) Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion, Other
Residential & commercial development Commercial & industrial areas Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem conversion
Residential & commercial development Housing & urban areas Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem conversion

Utilisation
Purpose Scale
Pets/display animals, horticulture international

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Grey-faced Buzzard Butastur indicus. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/grey-faced-buzzard-butastur-indicus on 23/11/2024.
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 23/11/2024.