Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

The common buzzard is one of the most common birds of prey in Europe and a fairly close relative of North America's red-tailed hawk. It does not live in the US; it breeds across Europe and Central Asia, and many birds from colder regions winter in Africa. In Europe, buteo hawks like this one are called buzzards—a word Americans often use for the turkey vulture instead.

Appearance

Appearance: 16–23 in (40–58 cm) long with a 43–55 in (109–140 cm) wingspan; females are larger. Plumage runs from very dark brown to nearly white. Adults have a dark band near the tail tip, dark trailing edges to the wings, and a yellow, black-tipped bill.
Voice: A plaintive, far-carrying 'pee-yow,' sometimes mistaken for a cat's mew.

Look-alikes

Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopus

The rough-legged is larger and longer-winged, with legs feathered down to the toes, a white-based tail with a broad dark band near the tip, and bolder dark wrist patches under the wings. It also hovers more often.

Why they get mixed upA close buteo cousin that also breeds across northern Europe and winters in the US.

Red KiteMilvus milvus

The red kite has a forked tail and holds its wings flat or slightly bowed; the buzzard fans a short, unforked tail and soars with wings in a shallow V.

Why they get mixed upIn Europe, both are large brown raptors soaring over the countryside.

European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus

The honey-buzzard glides on flat wings, has a smaller head and longer tail, and shows neat barring underneath.

Why they get mixed upSimilar size, shape, and variable plumage; young Steppe Buzzards are often mistaken for it.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: farmland
woodland edges
grasslands
wetlands
Range: Breeds across most of Europe and east to western Siberia and northwestern Mongolia, plus Atlantic islands such as the Azores and Canary Islands. Wintering birds reach the Middle East, South Asia, and much of Africa.
Seasonal presence: Many western populations stay year-round; birds from colder and eastern areas migrate.
Migration: The Steppe Buzzard (B. b. vulpinus) is a long-distance migrant that winters mainly in eastern and southern Africa. The Western Common Buzzard (B. b. buteo) moves only short distances, if at all.

Behavior

Diet: A generalist with over 300 known prey species, mostly voles and other small mammals, plus rabbits, birds, reptiles, amphibians, earthworms, and such as roadkill.

Life cycle

Nest: Usually in a tree, sometimes on a cliff ledge.
Clutch size: Typically 2–3 eggs
Incubation: About 34 days, mostly by the female
Fledging: 44–52 days
Lifespan: About 12 years for a typical breeding adult; a banded bird in Britain lived past 30.

Name and classification

About the name: The Eastern Buzzard (Buteo japonicus) of East Asia and the Himalayan Buzzard (Buteo refectus) were once included in this species and are now mostly treated as separate species.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
Status: In Britain it fell to a low point in the mid-1900s and has since recovered to become the most common bird of prey there, though illegal persecution continues.