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6

Common Buzzard

(Buteo buteo)
German name(s): "Mäusebussard"
Size: 48-56 cm; wing span 1.1-1.3 m
Weight: 550-1400 g

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Common Buzzard at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "buteo"

ADULT

PAIR

Pair of Common Buzzards on an old windmill (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Cascais, Lisbon, Portugal, January 2017]

Pair of Common Buzzards on an old windmill (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Cascais, Lisbon, Portugal, January 2017]

Sex unknown

Near-frontal view of a Common Buzzard perched in a dormant tree (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Between Lomza and Wizna, Podlachia, Poland, January 2016]

Near-frontal view of a Common Buzzard perched in a dormant tree (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Between Lomza and Wizna, Podlachia, Poland, January 2016]

Near-lateral view of a Common Buzzard on the ground (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Wiesbaden, Germany, October 2018]

Lateral view of a Common Buzzard (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo Estuary, Portugal, January 2022]

Lateral view of a Common Buzzard (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo Estuary, Portugal, December 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a Common Buzzard (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, October 2020]

Dorsal view of a Common Buzzard looking back at the observer (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, October 2020]

Dorsal view of a Common Buzzard (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, January 2023]

Near-frontal view of a Common Buzzard in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2019]

Near-frontal view of a Common Buzzard in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2019]

Close-up near-frontal/ventral view of a Common Buzzard in flight (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Near Oberkirch, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, October 2023]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a Common Buzzard in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2014]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a soaring Common Buzzard (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2017]

Lateral view of a Common Buzzard trying to gain height (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2013]

Lateral view of a Common Buzzard in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, October 2013]

Lateral view of a Common Buzzard in swift flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2015]

Lateral/ventral view of a Common Buzzard in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2023]

Ventral view of a Common Buzzard in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2019]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Common Buzzard in flight (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve, Fareham, Hampshire, England, September 2019]

Dorsal view of a Common Buzzard in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, May 2020]

Dorsal view of a Common Buzzard in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia river, Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, February 2020]

Dorsal/ventral view of a Common Buzzard in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, October 2013]

Ventral view of a Common Buzzard in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Couco, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, January 2022]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-lateral view of a juvenile Common Buzzard - note the frontal streaking (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, October 2019]

Lateral view of a juvenile Common Buzzard (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2018]

Lateral view of a juvenile Common Buzzard - note the pale gape (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, November 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Common Buzzard (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, November 2020]

Dorsal view of a Common Buzzard chick that has left its nest prematurely (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Dorsal view of a Common Buzzard nestling crouched on the ground (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Race "rothschildi"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Common Buzzard in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Terceira Island, Azores, November 2018]

Lateral view of a Common Buzzard in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Terceira Island, Azores, November 2018]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral/ventral view of a juvenil(?) Common Buzzard in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Terceira Island, Azores, November 2018]

Behaviour

Dorsal view of a Common Buzzard typically perched on a roadside fence post (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo Estuary, Portugal, December 2017]

Food, Diet

Frontal view of a Common Buzzard plucking its prey (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2018]

Common Buzzard carrying away its prey (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2014]

Lateral view of a Common Buzzard devouring its prey (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo Estuary, Portugal, December 2017]

Lateral view of a Common Buzzard carrying away its prey (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Santa Justa, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, May 2022]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

buzzard_jp_20201023.m4a buteo
(Portugal)
Contact calls? (in flight) © JP

More Common Buzzard sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site?
If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.