I live in an area where Jackal Buzzards are very common. They frequently perch on telephone poles or fence posts along the roads, and for most people, these birds are mainly seen in this stationary position. However, since I observe them every day, I’m fortunate to occasionally catch more special glimpses of their behaviour.

Typically, when a Jackal Buzzard flies, it does so with slow glides or steady, deliberate wingbeats. Recently, though, I witnessed something different: several of them hovering high in the sky like kites, then descending slowly while scanning the ground, likely watching for Cape Dune Mole-rats that dared to poke their heads out of their many burrow holes. I really enjoyed watching this hovering display and was able to capture a video or two. Once a buzzard spots a mole-rat, it dives swiftly to seize it, often landing right there on the ground to consume its prey. Over the past few years of close observation, I’ve been lucky enough to watch some of these chicks grow from fledglings into juveniles and eventually adults. One juvenile near Rondevlei still calls persistently to its parents for food many weeks after fledging. One memorable day while driving along one of these routes, I saw an adult Jackal Buzzard drop suddenly from the sky to the ground. It wasn’t long before I realized it had caught one of those large Cape Dune Mole-rats in its talons. After securing the heavy prey, the bird took off, but the mole-rat’s weight clearly exhausted it. The buzzard had to land and rest on the ground every 30 to 40 meters. After covering a few hundred meters this way, it finally gained enough height to fly higher and cross the road right in front of me. What a spectacular sight, being in the right place at the right time! The lighting was perfect, and I managed to take a few excellent photo.

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