The common buzzard is the UK’s most widespread bird of prey. It spends its time perched on high poles or flying in the open, gliding over forests and fields. It has a fairly slow, clumsy take-off, but once in flight soars easily with few-wing beats, using thermals to reach a great height. Buzzards can be identified by their mewing call which sounds similar to that of a cat.
Breeding birds: 57,000 – 79,000 pairs
Family: Buzzards, kites & allies
Buzzards have dark brown upperparts with much paler underparts and brown and reddish streaks on their bellies. There is a pale band across the breast. The primaries are almost black with a darker trailing edge. The short, broad tail is grey-brown with narrow bars and a dark terminal band.
The head is brown overall with some white on the throat. The eyes are yellow, the bill is black with a yellow cere and gape, and the legs and feet are yellow. Males and females are similar but the female is larger.
Juvenile buzzards resemble the adult but are paler with streaks on their underparts. The head has white or yellow streaks and the wings and back have reddish edges. The tail often lacks the terminal band and the eyes are grey.
Buzzards breed between March and May. They are monogamous and produce 1 brood a season. They build their nests in tall trees in a fork of a branch, close to the trunk. The nest is flat and bulky and made from sticks, twigs and small branches lined with green leaves.
Buzzards lay 2-5 smooth eggs, which are white with purple patches. The eggs are incubated for 33-35 days mostly by the female alone while the male finds prey and feeds her and guards the nest territory.
Chicks are covered in dull brown down on the upperparts with white underparts, and a dark patch around the eye. Both parents feed the chicks for the first few days but the male will spend most of his time hunting and bringing food back to the nest. The smallest chick in the nest will often die, sometimes crushed by the others.
They fledge at 50-55 days after hatching but remain dependent on their parents until the late summer, and reach sexual maturity at 2 or 3 years.
Buzzards feed on small mammals such as voles, rabbits and mice. They will also eat other birds, small reptiles and amphibians insects, and worms, as well as carrion.
Buzzards are best seen in Scotland, Wales, the Lake District and South West England but breed across the whole of the UK.
They can be found across the countryside including woodlands, moorland, pastures but will also venture into villages and even city centres perching on fence posts and pylons as they scan for prey.
Buzzards are not popular with falconers as they are considered too lazy to be taught to fly at live prey.
34 Responses
We have a pair in the high wincobank Sheffield area that have this year successfully reared to chicks . They are very beautiful and can be seen gliding the thermals regularly around the area. There calls are beautiful to hear and listen to . We have a good range of birds of prey in this area with great areas to sit and watch them . The Roman hill fort being a favourite.
just seen two buzzard over fingerpost in St Helens wow
I often spot a pair through my front window, gliding very high up. A very majestic sight and it’s worth noting that this is an urban setting alongside a dual carriage way with trees either side. I’ve also seen them out the back where there’s more trees and watched them do a vertical dive.
Saw a buzzard circling very low down at roof top height near my house (Lincoln). I quickly took a look. It was going to take a cat until I scared the cat and the bird. Lucky escape.
Saw light phase and dark phase together in 2019 can’t remember where though.
There’s a pair by Western International Market, West Middlesex/West London area (large expanse of greenery bordered by tall-ish trees) which I spot on my way home whilst driving between the M4 turn-off and the Great West Road on the Parkway(?)
Used to see one every couple of months or so …. now a sighting almost once a week!
Today was the first time I’d seen two of them!
Buzzard seen consecutive days for long periods in our woodland garden with stream here near Farnham, Surrey.
We have one that visits regularly in Dorking, Surrey. Sits on the garden wall or fence posts.
Lots of Buzzards here where I live ( rural West Dorset). For sometime I’ve bought wholemeal bread to feed the Corvids (because lots of people feed the pretty little birds), in the field behind my house I know it’s not ideal, but it keeps the wolf from the door. To my surprise, in these very cold spells, when the ground is frozen, a Buzzard has been coming down which has made for some good photos from the bedroom window. Recently a second one comes to the trees on the far side of the field, but doesn’t come for the bread and I’m wondering if they are maybe a pair. The first Buzzard seems to watch for me now as it appears before I’m even back in the house. I’ve ordered meal worms now and will put out a mix but the Buzzard seems to be doing well on the bread.
just seen two above my house in Brading, Isle of Wight, stunning! albiet, i have to watch my 2 Pomeranians! I am out there all the time with them, these guys are around weekly once or twice, there are 4 of them! beautiful
Stunnning birds ? seen between Leeds and York
Saw 3 buzzards in the Louth area of Lincs. Stunning bird.
Buzzards re now found throughout the country and come in a variety of colours, some in the West Country being almost white, while in the north almost black. Buzzards in the air are a different shape to the Red Kite which has longer wings in relation to a smaller body. In the south east it is not uncommon the see both and red kites will mob a buzzard, like the corvids do. A bird eating a pigeon on your lawn or flying through the window with a headless corpse is more likely to be female sparrowhawk. The female majors on pigeons, Her smaller mate cannot deal with anything larger than a blackbird.
We regularly see Buzzards overhead , usually 3, sometimes 5 or 6. The 2 we saw yesterday were only 15m up overhead. Majestic and amazing to watch them soaring , calling to each other. Mind you the corvids do not like them much but that is no bad thing! Just north of Spalding.
I think this is the bird that glided in to our house through out kitchen with a headless little bird and when we started screaming it dropped the little bird and flew out. London area.
I’m here like everyone – I’ve just seen a buzzard! She was huge, looked like an actual eagle sitting in the tree I walked under, took some pictures but didn’t want to miss her fiddling with my phone. I didn’t know they made this noise, my son and I often joked that something we heard outside sounded like eagles on TV, turns out it was probably these! We have a lot of red kites here but I’ve never seen one so close up, it’s a privilege.
I saw 2 buzzards flying. We were having lunch, toasties and a salmon sandwich. They were gliding gallantly in the glistening sky. We thoroughly enjoyed our day at Castle Howard (Howardian hills).
I’m in Coventry and I love bird watching but I’ve had to do some research (mainly as I couldn’t believe it) but we have a buzzard that appears now in my trees. It swoops down the side of my bungalow and loves the monkey puzzle in particular!
Just had half an hour watching a magnificent buzzard feasting on a pigeon in our garden near Banbury. We sat with binoculars and watched mesmerised. There is nothing left of the pigeon, just a few feathers and a claw. I’m amazed at just how much was eaten. A wonderful sight, brutal and raw, but a treat to see so close up.
I saw a buzzard in the trees near (52.7914542, -1.2247624) in north east Loughborough while I was biking yesterday lunchtime. It was the closest I’ve seen in the wild approx 8 metres from me . I noticed something large flying at eye level and the it stopped on a low branch. Superb!
Have seen 5 Buzzards in East Bridgford, Notts. Edge of the Vale of Belvoir. Took camera photo and a poor video of a couple of them.
Believe just seen a Buzzard in North Derbyshire
I’ve just seen two buzzards in a field in West Sussex Chichester, one was walking and the other just in front was still, it was amazing to see them up close, I viewed them through the thin hedges along a lane I was driving along. Made my morning, beautiful birds.
Just rescued one of these stuck on barb wire near emmer green in Reading. Took me 40 minutes to remove it from the fence. We have handed it to bird rescue charity. Showing signs of recovery, beautiful bird.
I walked though (cheddon fitzpain parish council) and there was a farmland with no crops and at the corner of the field there where lots of old trees to live in.
And in the field I spotted a group of about 8 buzzards which I distinguished by their call and colouration.
I have observed 6 buzzards today flying over my house in Waltham DN37 0UP. Over the last three months they regularly fly from the wolds towards I the seaside. Their shrill call is so distinctive and you hear it before you observe them using the thermals as they pass overhead both to and back from the Lincolnshire coast.
we have a nest just 2 miles outside Manchester city centre in Salford, they have about a 3 mile radius territory from what i can gather with two possibly 3 nests, been here for couple of years now, marvellous so close to a major city.
I live in Tilehurst, Berkshire and have discovered two (I’m guessing – distinctive call) common buzzards perched very high up in a tall tree in our garden. Have been keeping a watch on them for the last 2 days particularly as they are being ‘dive bombed’ regularly by a seagull. So am assuming they are nesting. I assume they are wild too.
Hello! I used to live at tilehurst along with various other areas of reading. It looks a very well known for having red kites (same shape and size as a buzzard but slightly different colouring). They would swarm in huge numbers at certain times of year. I worked in the blade in the town centre and from the top floor you could look down on them as they flew below!
Easy to tell the difference between a Red Kite and a Buzzard, in flightat least. Kites have a forked tail. Buzzards wingtip feathers turn up.
Hope that helps.
Live in Mayland Essex and often see one flying over farmland or perched on a telegraph pole.Interesting to read they hunt rabbits ,voles etc I thought they lived off Carrion.Thankyou for the information . I enjoyed reading the article.
We have a Buzzard that flies over our house and follows the railway line beside us. This is quite amazing to see, more so because we live in the very centre of the city. First realised there was a bird of prey locally by hearing its call whilst sat in the living room… remarkable
I live in Derbyshire and love to watch the buzzards gliding just so relaxing to watch we have quite a few here
I’ve seen buzzards in fields running around like they’re dancing. I wonder if it is the same as seagulls and how they get worms out of the ground? Does anyone know?