Common Buzzard
The Common Buzzard is a member of the genus Buteo and the family Accipitridae, a group of medium-sized raptors with robust bodies and broad wings. The Buteo species of Eurasia and Africa are usually commonly referred to as buzzards whilst those in the Americas are called hawks. Under current classification, the genus Buteo includes approximately 28 species. The Common Buzzard includes between 7 to 16 sub-species and the western Buteo group includes Buteo buteo buteo which is found more or less continuously throughout Europe including the UK.
The Common Buzzard is a medium-sized raptor that is highly variable in plumage. It is distinctly round headed with a somewhat slender bill and it has relatively long wings that either reach or fall slightly short of the tail tip when perched, a fairly short tail and somewhat short and mainly bare tarsi. It can appear fairly compact in overall appearance but may also appear large relative to other commoner raptors such as the Kestrel and Sparrowhawk.
The Common Buzzard measures between 16 and 23 inches in length with a 3 feet 7 inches to 4 feet 7 inches wingspan. Females average about 2 to 7% larger than males in length and weigh about 15% more. Body mass can show considerable variation from 0.94 to 2.6 pounds in males and 1.07 to 3.02 pounds in females.
In Europe, the Common Buzzard is typically dark brown above and on the upperside of the head and mantle but this can become paler and warmer brown with worn plumage. Usually the tail will be narrowly barred grey-brown and dark brown with a pale tip and a broad dark subterminal band but the tail in the palest birds can show a varying amount of white and a reduced sub-terminal band or even appear almost all white. The underside colouring can be variable but typically shows a brown-streaked white throat with a somewhat darker chest. A pale U across the breast is often present followed by a pale line running down the belly which separates the dark areas on the breast side and flanks. These pale areas tend to have highly variable markings that form irregular bars. Juveniles are quite similar to adults and are best told apart by having a paler eye, a narrower sub-terminal band on the tail and underside markings that appear as streaks rather than bars.
Beyond the typical mid-range brownish Common Buzzard, birds in Europe can range from almost uniform black-brown above to mainly white. Extreme dark individuals may range from chocolate-brown to blackish with almost no pale colour showing but with a variable or faded U on the breast and with or without faint lighter brown throat streaks. Extreme pale individuals are largely whitish with variable widely spaced streaks or arrowheads of light brown about the mid-chest and flanks and may or may not show dark feather-centres on the head, wing-coverts and sometimes all but part of the mantle. Individuals can show nearly endless variation of colours and hues in between these extremes and the Common Buzzard is among the most variably plumaged diurnal raptors for this reason.
The Common Buzzard is often confused with other raptors especially in flight or at a distance including other Buteo species such as Rough-legged Buzzard and Long-legged Buzzard and also Honey Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, Golden Eagle, Booted Eagle and Short-toed Eagle.
The Common Buzzard is found throughout several islands in the eastern Atlantic islands, including the Canary Islands and the Azores, and almost throughout Europe. In the UK, it is found in Northern Ireland and in nearly every part of Scotland and England. In mainland Europe, there are no substantial gaps in the range from Portugal and Spain to Greece, Estonia, Belarus and the Ukraine, although it is present mainly only in the breeding season in much of the eastern half of the latter 3 countries. It is also present in all larger Mediterranean islands such as Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily and Crete. Further north in to Scandinavia, it is found mainly in south Norway, the southern half of Sweden and in the southern two-thirds of Finland. The Common Buzzard reaches its northern limit as a breeder in far eastern Finland and over the border in to European Russia and nearly to the Kola Peninsula. In these northern limits, the Common Buzzard is present typically only in summer.
The Common Buzzard generally inhabits the interface of woodlands and open ground and typically lives in forest edge, small broad-leaved, coniferous or mixed woodlands with adjacent grassland, arable fields or other farmland and open moorland as long as there are some trees. It is absent from treeless tundra and sporadic or rare in treeless steppe. The Common Buzzard can be found from sea level to elevations of 6600 feet although it breeds mostly below 3300 feet. It can winter to an elevation of 8200 feet and migrates easily at 14,800 feet.
The Common Buzzard is a partial migrant. Autumn and spring movements are subject to extensive variation, even down to the individual level, based on a region's food resources, competition (both from other Common Buzzards and other predators), the extent of human disturbance and weather conditions. Short distance movements are the norm for juveniles and some adults in autumn and winter but more adults in central and south Europe and the UK remain in their year-around areas than do not.
The Common Buzzard is a typical Buteo in much of its behaviour. It is most often seen effortlessly soaring for extended periods at varying heights although it can appear laborious and heavy in level flight. It is also often seen perched prominently on tree tops, bare branches, telegraph poles, fence posts, rocks or ledges or alternatively well inside the tree canopy. It will also stand and forage on the ground.
The Common Buzzard is a generalist predator which hunts a wide variety of prey given the opportunity. The prey extents to a wide variety of vertebrates including mammals, birds (from any age from eggs to adult birds), reptiles, amphibians and fish as well as to various invertebrates, mostly insects. In total, well over 300 prey species are known to be taken by the Common Buzzard. However, dietary studies have shown that it mostly preys upon small mammals, mainly small rodents. Furthermore, prey size can vary from tiny beetles, caterpillars and ants to large adult grouse and Rabbits up to nearly twice their body mass. At times, the Common Buzzard will also subsist partially on carrion, usually of dead mammals or fish. Hunting in relatively open areas has been found to increase hunting success whereas more complete shrub cover lowered success. A majority of prey is taken by dropping from a perch and is normally taken on the ground. Prey may also be hunted in a low flight, by random glides or soars or by foraging on the ground.
The home range of the Common Buzzard is generally 0.19 to 0.77 square miles and the size of the breeding territory seems to be correlated with food supply. The territory is maintained through flight displays and in Europe territorial behaviour usually starts in February. However, displays are not uncommon throughout the year in resident pairs, especially by males, and can elicit similar displays by their neighbours.
In the display, the Common Buzzard generally engages in high circling, spiraling upward on slightly raised wings. Mutual high circling by pairs sometimes goes on at length, especially during the period prior to or during breeding season. During the mutual displays, the male may engage in exaggerated deep flapping or zig-zag tumbling, apparently in response to the female being too distant. Several pairs may circle together at times and as many as 14 individual adults have been recorded over established display sites.
Sky-dancing by the Common Buzzard has been recorded in spring and autumn, typically by the male but sometimes by the female, nearly always with much calling. Sky-dances are of the rollercoaster type, with an upward sweep of up to 100 feet until the bird starts start to stall but sometimes embellished with loops or rolls at the top. Next in the sky-dance, the bird will dive at least 200 feet on more or less closed wings before spreading them and shooting up again. These sky-dances may be repeated in series of 10 to 20. In the climax of the sky-dance, the undulations become progressively shallower, often slowing and terminating directly on to a perch. Various other aerial displays include low contour flight or weaving among trees, frequently with deep beats and exaggerated upstrokes which show underwing pattern to rivals perched below. Talon grappling and occasionally cartwheeling downward with feet interlocked has also been recorded.
The Common Buzzard tends to build a bulky nest of sticks, twigs and often heather and lined with broad-leaved foliage. Nests are up to 3.3 to 3.9 feet across and 24 inches deep. With reuse over years, the diameter of a nest can reach or exceed 5 feet. Trees are generally used for a nesting location but crags or cliffs are used if trees are unavailable. Nests in trees are usually located by the main trunk at a height of around 10 to 82 feet. Pairs often have 2 to 4 nests in a territory but some pairs may use a single nest over several consecutive years.
The breeding season of the Common Buzzard commences at differing times based on latitude. It may fall as early as January to April but typically it is March to July in most of Europe. In the northern limits of the range the breeding season may occur from May to August.
Mating usually occurs on or near the nest and eggs are usually laid in 2 to 3 day intervals. The clutch size can range from to 2 to 6 and it appears that local factors such as habitat and food supply are relevant. Eggs are generally laid in late March to early April in the extreme south, sometime in April in most of Europe and in to May and possibly even early June in the extreme north. If eggs are lost to a predator or fail in some other way, replacement clutches are not usually laid although this has been recorded. Incubation lasts for 33 to 35 days and is mostly, but not solely, undertaken by the female. Hatching may take place over 3 to 7 days. Often the youngest nestling dies from starvation, especially in broods of 3 or more. The female remains at the nest brooding the young in the early stages with the male bringing all prey. At about 8 to 12 days, both the male and female will bring prey but the female continues to do all feeding until the young can tear up their own prey. The young are nearly fully feathered rather than downy at about a month of age and can start to feed themselves as well. The first attempts to leave the nest are often at about 40 to 50 days. Fledging occurs typically at 43 to 54 days but in extreme cases as late 62 days. After leaving the nest, the young generally stay close by until full independence 6 to 8 weeks after fledging. Numerous factors may influence the breeding success of the Common Buzzard including the availability of prey populations, habitat, disturbance and persecution levels and competition.
The Common Buzzard is one of the most numerous birds of prey in its range and it is the most numerous diurnal bird of prey throughout much of Europe.
Date: 6th May 2011
Location: Elan Valley, Powys
The Common Buzzard is a medium-sized raptor that is highly variable in plumage. It is distinctly round headed with a somewhat slender bill and it has relatively long wings that either reach or fall slightly short of the tail tip when perched, a fairly short tail and somewhat short and mainly bare tarsi. It can appear fairly compact in overall appearance but may also appear large relative to other commoner raptors such as the Kestrel and Sparrowhawk.
The Common Buzzard measures between 16 and 23 inches in length with a 3 feet 7 inches to 4 feet 7 inches wingspan. Females average about 2 to 7% larger than males in length and weigh about 15% more. Body mass can show considerable variation from 0.94 to 2.6 pounds in males and 1.07 to 3.02 pounds in females.
In Europe, the Common Buzzard is typically dark brown above and on the upperside of the head and mantle but this can become paler and warmer brown with worn plumage. Usually the tail will be narrowly barred grey-brown and dark brown with a pale tip and a broad dark subterminal band but the tail in the palest birds can show a varying amount of white and a reduced sub-terminal band or even appear almost all white. The underside colouring can be variable but typically shows a brown-streaked white throat with a somewhat darker chest. A pale U across the breast is often present followed by a pale line running down the belly which separates the dark areas on the breast side and flanks. These pale areas tend to have highly variable markings that form irregular bars. Juveniles are quite similar to adults and are best told apart by having a paler eye, a narrower sub-terminal band on the tail and underside markings that appear as streaks rather than bars.
Beyond the typical mid-range brownish Common Buzzard, birds in Europe can range from almost uniform black-brown above to mainly white. Extreme dark individuals may range from chocolate-brown to blackish with almost no pale colour showing but with a variable or faded U on the breast and with or without faint lighter brown throat streaks. Extreme pale individuals are largely whitish with variable widely spaced streaks or arrowheads of light brown about the mid-chest and flanks and may or may not show dark feather-centres on the head, wing-coverts and sometimes all but part of the mantle. Individuals can show nearly endless variation of colours and hues in between these extremes and the Common Buzzard is among the most variably plumaged diurnal raptors for this reason.
The Common Buzzard is often confused with other raptors especially in flight or at a distance including other Buteo species such as Rough-legged Buzzard and Long-legged Buzzard and also Honey Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, Golden Eagle, Booted Eagle and Short-toed Eagle.
The Common Buzzard is found throughout several islands in the eastern Atlantic islands, including the Canary Islands and the Azores, and almost throughout Europe. In the UK, it is found in Northern Ireland and in nearly every part of Scotland and England. In mainland Europe, there are no substantial gaps in the range from Portugal and Spain to Greece, Estonia, Belarus and the Ukraine, although it is present mainly only in the breeding season in much of the eastern half of the latter 3 countries. It is also present in all larger Mediterranean islands such as Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily and Crete. Further north in to Scandinavia, it is found mainly in south Norway, the southern half of Sweden and in the southern two-thirds of Finland. The Common Buzzard reaches its northern limit as a breeder in far eastern Finland and over the border in to European Russia and nearly to the Kola Peninsula. In these northern limits, the Common Buzzard is present typically only in summer.
The Common Buzzard generally inhabits the interface of woodlands and open ground and typically lives in forest edge, small broad-leaved, coniferous or mixed woodlands with adjacent grassland, arable fields or other farmland and open moorland as long as there are some trees. It is absent from treeless tundra and sporadic or rare in treeless steppe. The Common Buzzard can be found from sea level to elevations of 6600 feet although it breeds mostly below 3300 feet. It can winter to an elevation of 8200 feet and migrates easily at 14,800 feet.
The Common Buzzard is a partial migrant. Autumn and spring movements are subject to extensive variation, even down to the individual level, based on a region's food resources, competition (both from other Common Buzzards and other predators), the extent of human disturbance and weather conditions. Short distance movements are the norm for juveniles and some adults in autumn and winter but more adults in central and south Europe and the UK remain in their year-around areas than do not.
The Common Buzzard is a typical Buteo in much of its behaviour. It is most often seen effortlessly soaring for extended periods at varying heights although it can appear laborious and heavy in level flight. It is also often seen perched prominently on tree tops, bare branches, telegraph poles, fence posts, rocks or ledges or alternatively well inside the tree canopy. It will also stand and forage on the ground.
The Common Buzzard is a generalist predator which hunts a wide variety of prey given the opportunity. The prey extents to a wide variety of vertebrates including mammals, birds (from any age from eggs to adult birds), reptiles, amphibians and fish as well as to various invertebrates, mostly insects. In total, well over 300 prey species are known to be taken by the Common Buzzard. However, dietary studies have shown that it mostly preys upon small mammals, mainly small rodents. Furthermore, prey size can vary from tiny beetles, caterpillars and ants to large adult grouse and Rabbits up to nearly twice their body mass. At times, the Common Buzzard will also subsist partially on carrion, usually of dead mammals or fish. Hunting in relatively open areas has been found to increase hunting success whereas more complete shrub cover lowered success. A majority of prey is taken by dropping from a perch and is normally taken on the ground. Prey may also be hunted in a low flight, by random glides or soars or by foraging on the ground.
The home range of the Common Buzzard is generally 0.19 to 0.77 square miles and the size of the breeding territory seems to be correlated with food supply. The territory is maintained through flight displays and in Europe territorial behaviour usually starts in February. However, displays are not uncommon throughout the year in resident pairs, especially by males, and can elicit similar displays by their neighbours.
In the display, the Common Buzzard generally engages in high circling, spiraling upward on slightly raised wings. Mutual high circling by pairs sometimes goes on at length, especially during the period prior to or during breeding season. During the mutual displays, the male may engage in exaggerated deep flapping or zig-zag tumbling, apparently in response to the female being too distant. Several pairs may circle together at times and as many as 14 individual adults have been recorded over established display sites.
Sky-dancing by the Common Buzzard has been recorded in spring and autumn, typically by the male but sometimes by the female, nearly always with much calling. Sky-dances are of the rollercoaster type, with an upward sweep of up to 100 feet until the bird starts start to stall but sometimes embellished with loops or rolls at the top. Next in the sky-dance, the bird will dive at least 200 feet on more or less closed wings before spreading them and shooting up again. These sky-dances may be repeated in series of 10 to 20. In the climax of the sky-dance, the undulations become progressively shallower, often slowing and terminating directly on to a perch. Various other aerial displays include low contour flight or weaving among trees, frequently with deep beats and exaggerated upstrokes which show underwing pattern to rivals perched below. Talon grappling and occasionally cartwheeling downward with feet interlocked has also been recorded.
The Common Buzzard tends to build a bulky nest of sticks, twigs and often heather and lined with broad-leaved foliage. Nests are up to 3.3 to 3.9 feet across and 24 inches deep. With reuse over years, the diameter of a nest can reach or exceed 5 feet. Trees are generally used for a nesting location but crags or cliffs are used if trees are unavailable. Nests in trees are usually located by the main trunk at a height of around 10 to 82 feet. Pairs often have 2 to 4 nests in a territory but some pairs may use a single nest over several consecutive years.
The breeding season of the Common Buzzard commences at differing times based on latitude. It may fall as early as January to April but typically it is March to July in most of Europe. In the northern limits of the range the breeding season may occur from May to August.
Mating usually occurs on or near the nest and eggs are usually laid in 2 to 3 day intervals. The clutch size can range from to 2 to 6 and it appears that local factors such as habitat and food supply are relevant. Eggs are generally laid in late March to early April in the extreme south, sometime in April in most of Europe and in to May and possibly even early June in the extreme north. If eggs are lost to a predator or fail in some other way, replacement clutches are not usually laid although this has been recorded. Incubation lasts for 33 to 35 days and is mostly, but not solely, undertaken by the female. Hatching may take place over 3 to 7 days. Often the youngest nestling dies from starvation, especially in broods of 3 or more. The female remains at the nest brooding the young in the early stages with the male bringing all prey. At about 8 to 12 days, both the male and female will bring prey but the female continues to do all feeding until the young can tear up their own prey. The young are nearly fully feathered rather than downy at about a month of age and can start to feed themselves as well. The first attempts to leave the nest are often at about 40 to 50 days. Fledging occurs typically at 43 to 54 days but in extreme cases as late 62 days. After leaving the nest, the young generally stay close by until full independence 6 to 8 weeks after fledging. Numerous factors may influence the breeding success of the Common Buzzard including the availability of prey populations, habitat, disturbance and persecution levels and competition.
The Common Buzzard is one of the most numerous birds of prey in its range and it is the most numerous diurnal bird of prey throughout much of Europe.
Date: 6th May 2011
Location: Elan Valley, Powys
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