Common buzzard
| Common Buzzard | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom Information | |
| Domain | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Subkingdom | Bilateria |
| Branch | Deuterostomia |
| Phylum Information | |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Sub-phylum | Vertebrata |
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata |
| Class Information | |
| Superclass | Tetrapoda |
| Class | Aves |
| Sub-class | Neornithes |
| Infra-class | Neoaves |
| Order Information | |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Sub-order | Accipitres |
| Family Information | |
| Superfamily | Accipitroidea |
| Family | Accipitridae |
| Sub-family | Buteoninae |
| Genus Information | |
| Genus | Buteo |
| Species Information | |
| Species | B. buteo |
| Population statistics | |
| Population | 3,690,000+ (2016 est.)[1] |
| Conservation status | Least concern[2] |
The common, or Eurasian buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a species of bird of prey of the family Accipitridae, and found over much of Europe and central Asia.
Description
The common buzzard is medium-sized; from 16 to 23 inches in length, a wingspan of 43 to 55 inches, and weigh 0.9 to 3 pounds. Females are 2 to 7% larger than males. The wings are relatively broad, and the short tail is rounded at the end. When gliding, the wings are kept in a shallow "V". The tips of the primary and secondary flight feathers are always dark, while the tail is usually tightly banded.
The nominate form (B. b. buteo) occurs in very different colorations from almost completely white to almost completely dark brown, which is unique in the bird world of Central Europe. Bright, intermediate and dark morphs can be distinguished. The darkest morphs are almost completely dark-brown to black-brown; fledged young birds to the first moult bear longitudinal stripes on the underside, which sometimes go up to the throat, while adult birds may have horizontal stripes on the underside. The completely banded tail is brown or gray. Intermediate morphs have a less distinct pattern on the whitish to pale yellow underside, sometimes without the typical bib on the bottom of the crop. The tail in the nominate form is gray, brown or rusty red with eight to twelve dark transverse bands. The brightest morphs have a whitish-pale-yellow base color on the underside and the back have significantly less to almost missing wing banding. Pale-yellow individuals often have ocher-brown and gray spots on their backs, giving them a "piebald" appearance.
Subspecies
- Buteo buteo arrigonii; Corsica and Sardinia
- Buteo buteo buteo; western Palearctic and Madeira; winters to western Africa
- Buteo buteo insularum; Canary Islands
- Buteo buteo menetriesi; southern Crimea and Caucasus to northern Iran
- Buteo buteo rothschildi; Azores Islands
- Buteo buteo vulpinus; northern Palearctic; winters to southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa
Threats
This species has been classified by the ICUN as "least concern" due to its large population and extensive range. Persecution in various areas, including the poisoning of bait traps, habitat loss, and the development of wind energy turbines continue to be of concern. It was cited in the past as having a severe drop in population within the United Kingdom[3] due to a myxomatosis epidemic during the 1950s which killed off nearly the entire population of wild rabbits[4].
