Buzzard
Buzzards have suffered from a severe decline in the UK.
Buzzards are most likely to be spotted in wooded, hilly areas and farmland in Scotland, Wales and western England. Sadly three-quarters of young buzzards die before they reach maturity.
The buzzard is territorial and often scares off other smaller birds with its unique long ‘mewing’ call. It has a bad reputation from feeding off carrion which it is assumed that it has killed, for example lambs who have died of natural causes.
Facts
Appearance: Buzzards are large birds with a very short neck and broad, short tail. They vary in colour but are mostly dark brown, with some paler areas underneath. They soar with their wings held in a distinctive shallow ‘V’ shape.
Size: 45-55 cm, with a wingspan of 110 – 130 cm
Weight: 550- 1300g
Lifespan: 8-12 years
Diet: Small mammals such as voles, mice and rabbits, birds and carrion.
Family: Accipitridae
Did you know?
- Buzzards came close to extinction during the years when myxomatosis decimated the rabbit population, as rabbits form a large part of the buzzard’s diet
- Buzzards will perch for hours at a time waiting for a small mammal to pass underneath it before swooping in for a kill
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