Long-legged buzzard Buteo rufinus feeding on fledglings of the Loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta

Abstract

On 16 August 1987 I was accompanying some Turkish biologists who were studying the breeding biology of the Loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta at Dalayan, a sandy beach on the S.W. coast of Turkey.

During the visit, which started at day break, we walked along the 7km beach, making notes on the tracks left by the young turtles which had fledged during the night and early morning. At one time a raptor was observed flying towards the beach fr·om the direction of a wood on the other side of the bay. This raptor, which was eventually identified as a Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus, alighted on a log on the beach about 150m ahead of us. After some minutes it flew about 1m above the ground and landed on the ground where it was observed to run and hop about.