Do Upland Buzzards Buteo hemilasius fear Pallas’s Cats Otocolobus manul?

Abstract

The Upland Buzzard Buteo hemilasius and Pallas’s Cat Otocolobus manul largely coexist in central Asia, with similar ecological niches, including similar prey. However, prior to this observation, no interactions between these two species had been recorded. A fight between adults of the two species would likely be dangerous for both. The observation from Mongolia reported here is of a juvenile Upland Buzzard reacting with alarm at the approach of an adult Pallas’s Cat. It suggests that, even outside the breeding season, Upland Buzzards may be automatically responsive to Pallas’s Cat behaviours potentially aimed at their juveniles.