It is found in forests from Greece and the Balkans east to Armenia and southern Russia . [3] . The bird is migrating ; spends the winter in the territory from Egypt and Sudan to the southeast of Iran . Unlike other European hawks, this species migrates in large flocks [4] .
A medium-sized bird reaches 30–38 cm in length; wingspan (average): female 80 cm and male 70 cm; weight: male 160-190 grams and female 190-220 grams [4] . The male is light bluish from above including the head; white throat with weak longitudinal strokes in the center, goiter and belly covered with thin light ocher with white transverse stripes; from a distance, the chest looks solid red. The female is bluish bluish from above, with a distinct dark longitudinal strip on the whitish throat, with clear chestnut-red transverse stripes on the goiter, neck and chest. The under tail of birds of both sexes is whitish, without stripes. The young specimen is brownish, with a dark pattern and buffy edges of feathers on top, with longitudinal rows of dark speckles of different shapes along the light bottom. On the throat stands a longitudinal strip in the center, as in females
It feeds mainly on lizards and frogs, as well as rodents, small birds, large insects.
