Common Buzzard
The Common Buzzard, a bird of prey belonging to the Accipitridae family, is primarily found in open country and woodlands across Europe and parts of northwestern China. This medium-sized raptor stands about two feet tall and has a wingspan of three to four feet, displaying a mix of light and dark brown plumage. Known for its impressive soaring abilities, the Common Buzzard can glide effortlessly on thermals, often hunting alone or in pairs while defending a territory that spans up to half a square mile. Its diet mainly consists of small mammals like rabbits and rodents, but it is opportunistic and may also consume reptiles, insects, and carrion.
Breeding occurs from late March to early July, with buzzards typically forming lifelong pairs. They construct nests high in trees or on cliffs, laying two to four white eggs that are incubated for four to six weeks. Once hatched, the chicks rely on their parents for food and training until they become independent at around four months old. The Common Buzzard faces threats from habitat loss and declining prey populations, yet its life expectancy ranges from twelve to twenty years. This resilient species showcases the adaptability and complexity of nature.
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Common Buzzard
The common buzzard is a bird of prey which lives in open country and woodland areas. This species lives mostly in Europe but has been known to breed as far as northwestern China. The common buzzard can reach speeds of up to twenty-five miles per hour.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Buteo
Species: Buteo
Common buzzards are nearly two feet (sixty centimeters) tall and weigh one to three pounds (1/2 to 1 1/2 kilograms). They have light and dark brown plumage, or feathering, on their backs, tails, and the upper sides of their wings. The undersides of their wings are brown on the forward edges, white in the middle, and black or dark brown on the tips and rear edges. The undersides of the tails are mostly white with brown on the rear edges.
When the common buzzards spread their wings, their wingspan is three to four feet (about one meter) from wing tip to wing tip. The buzzards soar and glide over their territories for hours at a time. They typically live in a variety of open or wooded habitats, either alone or in pairs, although each bird generally hunts by itself. Each buzzard or pair of buzzards defends a territory which may be 1/4 to 1/2 square mile (1/2 to 1 1/4 square kilometers). The air above this territory is also considered part of their territory, and the buzzard defends that area as well. Any bird which flies within 800 feet (240 meters) above the ground over a buzzard's territory may be attacked or chased away. Above that territorial line, the air space is open, and any bird may fly there freely. The buzzards ride thermals, or warm rising currents of air, high into the sky. They are able to float for hours with very little wing movement.
As common buzzards defend their territory, they are also hunting for food. Small mammals, such as rabbits and rodents, are the main items in their diets. The birds, however, are not choosy, and may also seize lizards, snakes, frogs, large insects, worms, young or weak birds, and dead animal flesh, called carrion. Whether the buzzards soar and glide high above the ground, fly low over the ground, perch on a rock or in a tree, or forage on the ground, they are skillful hunters.
The greatest threats to common buzzards are the habitat loss of and lack of prey. There was a time when many rabbits were dying from diseases. This meant there was less food for the buzzards, and so many of them starved. In recent years, the buzzard population has increased in some areas, while it has decreased in others.
Common buzzards mate from late March to early July. In most cases, the male and female mate for life. The male begins defending his territory early in the spring before the birds have mated. The female joins the male in courtship flights over their territory, soaring and circling together while they call loudly. They build their nest high in a tree or on a cliff. The nest is made of sticks, twigs, and other vegetation and may be three feet (one meter) across. Each pair may decide to reuse an old nest or build a new one.
The female's eggs are all white or white with brown markings and are usually two to four in number. She incubates, or sits on the eggs, for four to six weeks. For two weeks after the chicks hatch, the male brings food to the female and the noisy chicks. As the chicks grow, they eat more, and so both mother and father must hunt to provide food for them. When they are seven to eight weeks old, the chicks take their first step from the edge of the nest and spread their new wings. They will stay with their parents and learn to hunt until they are nearly four months old. After this, they leave the nest and are independent until they find their own territory. At two years old, the young buzzard is able to mate for the first time. It may mate each year after that until it dies. Average life expectancy is twelve to twenty years.
Bibliography
“Common Buzzard.” Animalia, 2024, animalia.bio/common-buzzard?property=13. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024
Hasty, Tori. “Buteo.” Animal Diversity Web, 2022, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Buteo/. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
Pace, Lisha. “Common Buzzard.” A-Z Animals, 23 Mar. 2023, a-z-animals.com/animals/common-buzzard/. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.