A quick blast around the local nature reserve this afternoon, the wind is really picking up so didn’t spend too long there; tomorrow Storm Ciara hits these islands so it’s going to be mega windy tomorrow! (As an aside, the islands of Ireland and Britain have had named storms for a few years now, and it has made me far more aware of impending bad storms than beforehand – and I can now pronounce Irish names better as a side effect, I would have said “kee-ara” before rather than “keera” as it should be). There was more activity than I thought there may be, including some Bird of Prey action.
What: Buzzard Buteo buteo (Linnaeus, 1758)
When: 8th February 2020
Where: Poynton, Cheshire, UK (being deliberately vague here)
Who saw it? Me
How was it recorded? On the eBird app.
Is it bigger than a blackbird? Yes.
What is it? A fairly large bird of prey in the accipiter family. They are one of the commonest birds of prey in the UK, but unlike the equally common sparrowhawk (from a couple of posts ago) are way more obvious and spend a lot of time soaring on the wing. They are very vocal for birds of prey too, their distinctive “kee-aww” call is a big clue to their presence. They are mostly brown in colour with patches of white, especially under the wings. However, they are very variable in their appearance, with many birds considerably lighter, and some a lot darker. I heard once that in Britain at least that pale birds are more common in the south, getting darker and darker as you get further north. I’m not sure how true this is. Unlike falcons, they have broad rounded wings. They are often mistaken for eagles in Scotland where they are disparagingly referred to as ‘tourist eagles’. They are pretty lazy and slow moving for a bird of prey but their main food are rabbits, but will eat carrion and even earthworms.
A fact I have learned about this species: I once did a study on this species so I know a fair bit so there’s not a lot new to be found out (without going highly detailed!). But one thing I learned recently is that they are more closely related to many American birds of prey than European. Most ‘hawks’ in North America are actually species of buzzard (or is it our buzzard is really a species of hawk?!).
Are they charismatic in my opinion? Yes. I think buzzards are one of my favourite birds. I never ever saw them as a child and have only known them in adult life, the reason is they have bounced back from persecution in a big way (although they still are illegally persecuted unfortunately). If I see a buzzard I will always watch it through my binoculars, something I don’t do with many common birds. I love the call, I love that they are incredibly vocal and they always bring a smile to me when I see them.
A Species a Day 