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Long-legged Buzzard

Buteo rufinus

Resident

Found at Neolithic WF16

The Long-legged Buzzard can be found in a variety of habitats, from semi-deserts, to mountains, and open woodland. It is resident in Wadi Faynan and might be seen sitting prominently on a rock escarpment or soaring and hovering over the landscape when hunting.

At the Neolithic archaeological site of WF16, the remains of buzzards outnumber all other birds to a huge degree. This shows that between 12,000 and 10,000 years ago, the hunter-gatherer inhabitants of Wadi Faynan were capturing these buzzards over other birds. Cut marks discovered on the bones indicate that this was likely because of their feathers and talons, which they may have used for clothing or ritual purposes.


A leg bone of a Long-legged Buzzard found at WF16

Image credit: ‘Long-legged Buzzard ‘ by Fares Khoury from Jordan BirdWatch