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

Justification of Red List category
This species has a very 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). The population trend appears to be fluctuating but stable in the long-term, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size may be moderately small to large, 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
There is very little data on population size, but the species is apparently infrequent or rare throughout most of its range (Orta & Kirwan 2020). The global population is estimated to number > c.10,000 individuals (Ferguson-Lees et al. 2001), while national population sizes have been estimated at c.100-10,000 breeding pairs, c.50-1,000 individuals on migration and < c.50 wintering individuals in China and < c.50 individuals on migration and < c.50 wintering individuals in Korea (Brazil 2009).

Trend justification
The population may be fluctuating owing to fluctuations in vole populations (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001), however it is suspected to be stable in the long-term in the absence of any known significant threats.

There are two records - one from Mongolia and one from Russia - of a nestling becoming entangled in rubbish used in the construction of its nest (Ellis and Lish 1999; Vazhov et al. 2010), however this is unlikely to represent a significant threat. Overgrazing of pastureland in the Bayanbulak region, China is a potential threat; over 50% of the grassland has experienced some degradation (Zhang et al. 2002). Electrocution may also pose a threat (Ganbold et al. 2018). Ellis et al. (2010) recovered 14 Upland Buzzard carcasses from cisterns in Mongolia, where they had died after becoming trapped.

Conservation actions underway
The species is listed on CITES Appendix II, CMS Appendix II and Raptors MoU Category 3.

Text account compilers
Haskell, L.

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

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Upland Buzzard Buteo hemilasius. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/upland-buzzard-buteo-hemilasius on 18/12/2024.
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 18/12/2024.