# Common Buzzard (*Buteo buteo*) The Common Buzzard is a large bird that can often be seen soaring in the sky! It has a mix of brown and white feathers that help it blend in with its surroundings. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 15 - **Habitat:** Fields, forests, and hills - **Also known as:** Buzzard, European Buzzard ![Common Buzzard](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426645/objects/4610.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Buzzard is a medium-sized raptor with broad, rounded wings and a relatively short tail. Its plumage is highly variable, typically mottled brown with lighter undersides and a dark trailing edge on its wings, distinguishing it from falcons by its stockier build. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Accipitriformes - **Family:** Accipitridae - **Genus:** Buteo ## Interesting facts - Buzzards build large nests high in trees or on rocky cliffs! - Sometimes they even walk on the ground to catch juicy worms! - Their 'mewing' call sounds just like a cat begging for food! - They are often seen sitting on fence posts, waiting patiently for prey. ## Special abilities - **Super Soarer:** Common Buzzards can soar effortlessly on thermal currents because this saves energy while they search for food below. - **Eagle Eye:** The Common Buzzard has incredible vision that helps them spot tiny prey from very high up in the sky. - **Stealthy Hunter:** Common Buzzards can drop silently from a perch because their soft feathers allow for noiseless flight to surprise prey. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 50-57 cm - **Wingspan:** 110-130 cm - **Weight:** 0.7-1.4 kg - **Lifespan:** 6-25 years - **Speed:** 50 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-4 - **Incubation:** 30-38 days ## Diet & Feeding Common Buzzards are skilled hunters who eat small mammals, birds, reptiles, and even insects. - **Primary Foods:** voles, mice, shrews, rabbits, small birds, frogs - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** [Common Vole](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-vole) (*Microtus arvalis*) — A very important food source for buzzards. - **Hunts:** [European Rabbit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-rabbit) (*Oryctolagus cuniculus*) — Often preys on young or sick rabbits. - **Shelter:** [English Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/english-oak) (*Quercus robur*) — Often builds large nests in mature oak trees. - **Eaten by:** [Eurasian Eagle-Owl](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eurasian-eagle-owl) (*Bubo bubo*) — Large eagle-owls are known predators of buzzards. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Scavenger](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/scavenger): Scavengers consume dead organic matter, helping to decompose carcasses and other waste in the ecosystem. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common Buzzard? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Common Buzzard? 50-57 cm ### What is Common Buzzard's wingspan? 110-130 cm ### How much does Common Buzzard weigh? 0.7-1.4 kg ### How long does Common Buzzard live? 6-25 years ### How fast can Common Buzzard move? 50 km/h ### What does Common Buzzard eat? Common Buzzards are skilled hunters who eat small mammals, birds, reptiles, and even insects. ### Where is Common Buzzard usually found? Fields, forests, and hills ## Where to spot - [Colchester Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/colchester-zoo) — England, GB · Zoo - [Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/birmingham-wildlife-conservation-park) — England, GB · Zoo - [Pairi Daiza](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pairi-daiza) — Hainaut, BE · Zoo - [Zoo Berlin](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoo-berlin) — Berlin, DE · Zoo - [Zoologická zahrada Děčín - Pastýřská stěna](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoologick-zahrada-d-n-past-sk-st-na) — Ústí nad Labem Region, CZ · Zoo - [Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabárceno](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/parque-de-la-naturaleza-de-cab-rceno) — Spain, ES · Zoo [View all places to see Common Buzzard](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-buzzard) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Common Buzzard: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-buzzard)