Tim writes: The Augur Buzzard (Buteo augur) is found in upland areas of Ethiopia, plus many areas further south in Africa. It has two colour forms; a pale morph with a white body and underwing coverts, and a black morph like this one. They have an easy-to-recognise shape with bulging wings and a very short rufous tail. The name Augur means soothsayer, an honoured office in ancient times when the future was foretold by observing the sky, birds, mammals, weather etc. Observation of hawks and eagles (and Augur Buzzards!) was considered to be particularly significant. I photographed this soaring individual in Ethiopia’s Simien Mountains, backlit by the morning sun.
Taken with Nikon D500 and Nikkor 300mm f4 lens with a 1.4x converter at f5.6 ISO 1600 1/2500s
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