The white-eyed buzzard is a compact raptor of open, dry country, and one I have come to know well on the grasslands and lake beds around Bangalore, with a few more photographed on the plains of Tal Chhapar in Rajasthan. It takes its name from its pale, staring white iris — a feature that gives even a perched bird a sharp, alert expression.
Most of my collection is of juveniles, and they have been a pleasure to work with — surprisingly cooperative and full of character. I have watched young birds chase after prey, call from open perches and generally go about their day without much concern for me nearby. That easy behaviour has let me photograph them in all sorts of moods.
The adults are a different matter. They are noticeably shy, and in all this time I have managed to photograph an adult male only once. That contrast — the bold, playful juveniles and the wary adults — is part of what keeps the species interesting to me, and a good reminder that with some birds a single frame is harder won than a whole morning with another.
