Common Buzzard
Buteo buteo
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Buteo buteo
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Mass
~760 g
Habitat
Grasslands and meadows
Diet
Small vertebrates
Lifespan
~10 лет
How to recognize it
The Common Buzzard stands out as a fairly large, very variable raptor. In everyday life it comes across as a solid shape with broad wings and a fairly short tail, usually calm and unhurried rather than flashy.
It often sits in the open on a tree top, pole, or rock, watching for movement below. When it hunts, it usually drops from a perch instead of making a dramatic chase, and its voice is a nasal mewing call that can carry quite a distance.
It favors the meeting point of woodland and open ground, especially edges, shelterbelts, parks, and farmland with trees. It mainly takes small mammals, but also small passerines, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and carrion in some areas; many populations stay year-round, while northern ones move south for winter.
Quick Facts
Listen to the call
The Common Buzzard stands out as a fairly large, very variable raptor. In everyday life it comes across as a solid shape with broad wings and a fairly short tail, usually calm and unhurried rather than flashy.
It often sits in the open on a tree top, pole, or rock, watching for movement below. When it hunts, it usually drops from a perch instead of making a dramatic chase, and its voice is a nasal mewing call that can carry quite a distance.
It favors the meeting point of woodland and open ground, especially edges, shelterbelts, parks, and farmland with trees. It mainly takes small mammals, but also small passerines, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and carrion in some areas; many populations stay year-round, while northern ones move south for winter.
How to recognize it
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Buteo buteo Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Common buzzard Encyclopedia article