Shift in nesting ground of the long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus) in Judea, Israel – An effect of habitat change

Until the 1980s, at least 31 pairs of long-legged buzzards (Buteo rufinus) nested along the streams of the Judean Mountains in Israel, mostly on rocky cliffs, which – according to existing literature – is the common nesting style of this bird. During the past 40years, however, nesting in these areas has substantially decreased, with many pairs of buzzards now nesting on trees in the Judean Foothills.