Living with Birds 21 Facts on Buzzard Tweetapedia
21 Wildlife Facts on Buzzards
March 31st, 2025
2 minute read
- Among the more unusual items recorded as being killed and eaten are puffins, frogs and dung beetles.
- However, a hungry buzzard is quite capable of killing a wide variety of prey, ranging from rabbits to birds up to the size of a wood pigeon, but any larger prey tackled was probably already sick.
- Numbers are greatest where the fields are smallest, as it favours abundant hedgerows and small woods.
- Despite its impressive size, the buzzard is not a major predator, preferring a diet of carrion and earthworms.
- It is thought that the buzzard is now our commonest bird of prey, pushing the kestrel into second place.
- For the first time for 200 years they now breed in every county in England, Wales and Scotland.
- While British buzzards are largely resident, many northern populations are highly migratory, many moving to Africa during the northern winter.
- Once restricted largely to the west and north of mainland Britain, the last 15 years have seen a remarkable expansion of these birds to the east.
- It doesn't like hot or arid areas either, so in Eastern Europe the long-legged buzzard replaces it.
- Though the buzzard can tolerate areas of high rainfall, it prefers temperate climates, so is scarce or absent in the far north of Europe, where the rough-legged buzzard takes its place.
- Each pair will have as many as 21 potential nest sites, usually changing to a fresh site every year.
- Buzzards build their own nest, and they have a curious habit of decorating it with fresh green foliage.
- Though most buzzards nest in trees, rocky crags or cliffs are also used.
- This is a very adaptable species, able to survive in a wide variety of habitats from lowland farms to high mountains. It's main requirement is a tree at least 20ft high in which to nest.
- Buzzards breed in every European country except Iceland, but are absent from some offshore island groups, including the Balearics.
- It is because of its highly variable plumage that the French call it the buse (buzzard) variable.
- Buzzards have remarkably variable plumage. Most individuals are brown and heavily marked, but some are almost white.
- Buzzards have never been popular with falconers, as they tend to be far too lazy to be taught to fly at live quarry.
- In the USA, the word buzzard is often used to describe the native turkey vultures. The two species are not related.
- In Scotland, many tourists hoping to see an eagle mistake buzzards for their quarry. Any big bird of prey sitting on a telegraph pole is most likely a buzzard.
- The buzzard's enthusiasm for eating carrion makes it especially vulnerable to poison baits, often put out to kill other predators such as foxes.
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