upland buzzard was considered as conspecific with the long-legged species. A small molecular study found that there was not a strong genetic affinity between the upland and long-legged buzzards. There is some circumstantial claims that they will interbreed. However, there is no strong evidence of regular interbreeding, to such a degree the specific definition of the buzzards blurs, despite their ranges broadly overlapping. Distribution and status The central portion of the breeding range, comprising a great majority, of the upland buzzard is in Mongolia and China, in the latter nation especially in the western, northern and northeastern areas. To the north of Mongolia, where they occur throughout, upland buzzards also breed in several adjacent areas of southern Siberia. In the west, their breeding range may edge very slightly into far eastern Tajikistan, southeastern Kyrgyzstan and fairly recently in the East Kazakhstan Region, where they were documented to nest for the first time only in 1990. In the south, the upland buzzard may breed in the quite northern reaches of Bhutan, Nepal and now for the first recorded time in 1998 to nest in the Indian subcontinent within Changtang, Tibet. During times of passage, northern birds radiate through non-breeding areas of western China and in eastern Kyrgyzstan as well in North Korea and South Korea far to the east. Wintering areas of upland buzzards can include much of eastern Kazakhstan, northern India, much of Nepal and Bhutan and central and eastern China. Generally speaking, upland buzzards are not long-distance migrants and many travel minimal distances to winter. In seldom cases, upland buzzards have turned in Japan as well, most likely vagrating from Korea. An unusual old claim exists of the upland buzzard turning up in Iran during winter. This species tends to be generally uncommon, but in some areas such as Tibet and peak prey areas of Mongolia, it can border on abundant down to rare. The upland buzzard is not considered a threatened species. Behaviour and ecology The upland buzzard normally found in open, high elevation regions. While recorded at over in elevation, the species normally nests at elevations between and may at times be recorded down to sea-level during the winter. In the montane areas it nests in habitats such as alpine meadow, upland steppe and plateaus, often foraging in these assorted grasslands and rocky areas. They also visit cultivation such as arable lands in both summer and winter.