Birds · Accipitriformes · Accipitridae

Common Buzzard

Buteo buteo

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

It is the commonest and most widespread bird of prey in the United Kingdom and much of Europe, having recovered strongly after a decline caused by persecution and pesticides.

Weight

430 g – 1.4 kg

Size

40 cm – 58 cm

Lifespan

12 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestGrasslandCarnivore Diurnal Solitary Bird Temperate forest Grassland

45countries 244parks43same family

Fun facts

Its characteristic call, a plaintive mew, sounds like a cat.
It feeds mainly on small rodents such as voles, supplemented with birds, reptiles and carrion.
It lives in woodland and open country of Europe and western Asia.
locomociónIt is one of the commonest daytime raptors in Europe and can soar for hours on rising thermals at almost no energy cost.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Woodland and open country of Europe and western Asia
Birth weight: Born altricial and covered in down
Size at birth: Born altricial
Sexual maturity: 2-3 years
Gestation / incubation: 33-35 days
Litter / clutch size: 2 to 4 eggs per clutch

Sources consulted: Dimensions.com; BirdBuddy Wiki; A-Z Animals; Birda.org; The Animal Facts; PMC (genome sequence paper)

Where to find it

See its range on the interactive map

Best time: All year round; in winter the Iberian population is swelled by birds from northern Europe and it is very conspicuous perched on roadside posts.