The common buzzard is a medium-to-large bird of prey, whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. It is usually resident year-round, except in the coldest parts of its range, and in the case of one subspecies.
Similar species: Diurnal Birds Of Prey
By Joost Thissen
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Uploaded Nov 23, 2012. Captured Oct 26, 2012 14:07.
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From today's Facebook post:
Happy Buzzards Day 2019!
The Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a diurnal bird of prey which is distributed from Europe to Asia. It grows to 51-57 cm in length and has a compact body with a rounded head, variable plumage, and short tail. It has a wingspan between 110-150 cm. 11 subspecies are currently known.
While some populations of this bird will remain in the same area for life, others migrate South in small flocks during the cooler winter months. The Common Buzzard is otherwise solitary, hunting near forested areas or woodland edges. It is an opportunistic hunter which prefers feeding on a variety of ground-dwelling species including pheasant, snakes, lizards, insects, annelids, and small to medium mammals. When faced with scarcity, it has also been known to feed on carrion.
Despite its loner lifestyle, the Common Buzzard is generally monogamous and forms a lifetime pair bond. A female will choose her mate based on the aerial "rollercoaster" displays performed by males during early spring. These spectacular performances involve the males flying very high and quickly dropping down into spiraling acrobatics. Once a pair is formed, the male and female participate in nest building--which usually occurs high in tree tops. The female lays a clutch of 2 to 4 eggs, and incubation takes around a month. The male does not take part in incubation but may bring food to the nesting female during this time.
Worldwide populations of the Common Buzzard are considered stable, but this species still faces several threats including death by game-keepers, human disturbances during breeding seasons, and declines in prey species (through agricultural pesticide and poison usage).
{Spotted by JungleDragon user, Joost Thissen in the Netherlands.}
Posted 6 years ago