Buzzard (Common)
Now the commonest and most widespread UK bird of prey. The buzzard is quite large with broad, rounded wings, and a short neck and tail. When gliding and soaring it will often hold its wings in a shallow ‘V’ and the tail is fanned. Birds are variable in colour from all dark brown to much paler variations, all have dark wingtips and a finely barred tail.
Common Buzzards prefers woodlands by open fields and can also be found on heathland and moors especially in hilly districts.
Identification
- Adult
- the colour of Buzzards vary greatly from very dark to very light. Their tail usually has heavily barred markings, their heads is small and breast dark in colour. They have a wide wing spam 112 - 128cms.
- Size
- 50 - 56cms
- Bill
- black, hooked.
- Legs
- yellow, long.
- Habitat
- moors, heaths, forests, woods, fields and mountains
- Behaviour
- perches openly, takes off and lands on vegetation, posts, wires and on the ground.
- Flocking
- small soaring groups or solitary
- Flight
- soars and glides
- Voice
- mewing pee-oo
Breeding & Feeding
- Nest
- The nest, built by both birds, is usually in a tree, rocky crag or cliff. It is a substantial structure of branches, twigs, heather and other available material. The average size of a newly built nest is 1 m in diameter and 60cm deep. Re-used nests can be 1.5 m across. The shallow cup in the nest is lined with green material immediately prior to egg laying, with further material added gradually until the young fledge.
- Eggs
- The female lays a clutch of 2-4 white eggs with red and brown markings, at three-day intervals in mid-April.
- Incubation Period
- Have an incubation for 33-35 days for each successive egg. The chicks hatch at about two-day intervals.
- Fledgling
- 50 to 55 days from hatching
- Broods
- 1 - March to May
- Food
- Small mammals, birds and carrion. Even earthworms and large insects when other prey is in short supply.
- UK Breeding Pairs
- 57, 000 to 79,000
