Common Buzzard

The common buzzard is a medium-sized raptor, 40–58cm long with a wingspan of 109–140cm, with very variable plumage. Most birds are distinctly round-headed with a fairly slender bill, relatively long wings that reach or fall just short of the tail tip when perched, a fairly short tail and mainly bare legs. Females average slightly larger than males and about 15% heavier, and weights vary widely. Typical European birds are dark brown above (Wikipedia, general species account).

It breeds across most of Europe and much of the Palearctic to north-western China and western Siberia. Over much of its range it is resident, but birds from colder and eastern areas migrate south for the winter, many as far as South Africa. It is an opportunistic predator that takes a wide variety of prey but feeds mostly on small mammals, especially voles and other rodents, usually hunting from a perch, and nests in trees. In India it is a winter migrant with a large range. SoIB 2023 estimates a long-term decline of about 53% with a stable current trend, and rates it a Low conservation priority (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).