Photo: caroline legg / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Common Buzzard
Buteo buteo
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) — Birds of Prey of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a member of the Accipitridae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 759 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Accipitriformes
- Family Accipitridae Kites, Hawks, Eagles
- Genus Buteo
- Species buteo
Quick facts
- Weight
- 759 g
- Diet
- Vertebrate hunters
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Not Evaluated
Vulnerable
Endangered
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Common Buzzard preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Common Buzzard is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a species of bird in the Accipitridae family, part of the order Accipitriformes. Its range spans Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL widespread.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 759 g, with a wing length of about 38.3 cm and a tail of around 21.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 11.7 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Common Buzzard?
The Common Buzzard is a large bird that weighs around 759 g.
Where does the Common Buzzard live?
The Common Buzzard is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL widespread, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Common Buzzard belong to?
The Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) belongs to the Accipitridae family, in the order Accipitriformes.
What does the Common Buzzard eat?
The Common Buzzard preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Does the Common Buzzard migrate?
The Common Buzzard is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Common Buzzard endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Common Buzzard make?
1 real field recording of the Common Buzzard — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Common Buzzard's range?
The Common Buzzard has a mapped global range of about 11.7 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Accipitridae
A field guide to the Accipitridae family — 254 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.