Wildlife Guide · United Kingdom & Europe

Common Buzzard

Buteo buteo

The broad-winged, mewing raptor that became Britain's commonest bird of prey.

Least Concern (IUCN)

A common buzzard perched on a fence post, showing its broad body, brown plumage with a pale chest band, hooked yellow-and-grey beak and piercing dark eye, against a soft green countryside background.

Image: Source: Wikimedia Commons — “Buteo buteo juv Log (2)” by Yerpo, CC BY-SA 4.0

In brief

A common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-large, broad-winged bird of prey and Britain's most common and widespread raptor. It soars in slow circles, gives a distinctive cat-like mewing call, and hunts small mammals, earthworms and carrion across farmland, woodland and moorland.

By the WARN Research & Conservation TeamChecked against IUCN Red List & CITES sourcesLast updated June 2026

The common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-large bird of prey and the most widespread raptor across Britain and much of Europe. Stocky and broad-winged, it is most often seen soaring in slow circles on rising warm air, or perched motionless on a fence post or bare branch scanning for prey. Its plumage is famously variable, ranging from dark chocolate-brown to almost creamy-white, usually with a pale band across the chest. The buzzard's far-carrying, cat-like "pee-yow" mewing call is one of the most recognisable sounds of open countryside. A patient, opportunistic hunter, it feeds largely on small mammals, earthworms and carrion, and has recovered strongly to recolonise much of its former range.

109-140 cm

Wingspan

40-58 cm

Body length

300+

Recorded prey species

Least Concern

IUCN Red List status

Figures sourced from Wikipedia - Common buzzard, IUCN Red List - Buteo buteo, CITES - Appendices and other references on this page.

Common Buzzard: Quick Facts

Vital statistics and key facts about the Common Buzzard
Common name	Common buzzard
Scientific name	Buteo buteo
Type	Bird of prey (raptor)
Wingspan	109-140 cm
Body length	40-58 cm
Diet	Small mammals, birds, earthworms, carrion
Call	Cat-like mewing 'pee-yow'
Distribution	Europe and western/central Asia; UK resident
UK status	Most common and widespread bird of prey
IUCN status	Least Concern

Scientific Classification

Scientific classification of the Common Buzzard
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Accipitriformes
Family	Accipitridae
Genus	Buteo
Species	Buteo buteo

Conservation Status

IUCN Status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List). The common buzzard has an extremely large global range and population, assessed as stable or increasing, and is not currently considered at risk of extinction. In the UK it has recovered strongly from historical persecution to become the most common and widespread bird of prey, though local threats such as illegal poisoning, vehicle and powerline collisions, and persecution persist.
Population: Very large; global population estimated in the millions of mature individuals (IUCN), with a substantial and widespread breeding population in the UK.
Trend: Stable to increasing
Assessed: 2021
CITES: Appendix II

Listed on CITES Appendix II, which covers all birds of prey (Accipitriformes) and regulates international trade. Fully protected under UK wildlife law.

Key Facts: Common Buzzard

The common buzzard is Britain's most common and widespread bird of prey, found in nearly every county.
It is a broad-winged, stocky raptor best known for soaring in slow circles and giving a cat-like mewing call.
Plumage is highly variable, from dark brown to pale cream, often with a paler chest band.
It is a generalist predator, taking small mammals, birds, earthworms and carrion, with over 300 prey species recorded.
Once heavily persecuted and reduced to the west and north, it has recovered to recolonise most of Britain since the late 20th century.
Globally it is classified as Least Concern, with a large and stable to increasing population.

What does a common buzzard look like?

The common buzzard is a medium-large raptor with a compact body, broad rounded wings and a relatively short, fanned tail. Adults typically measure 40-58 cm from bill to tail, with a wingspan of roughly 109-140 cm, and females are noticeably larger and heavier than males. The most striking feature is the variability of its plumage: individuals range from very dark, almost uniform chocolate-brown to pale, creamy birds with extensive white, and many show a paler band or 'necklace' across the breast. In flight the wings are held in a shallow V, the tips slightly upturned, and the tail is often spread into a fan. The underwing usually shows pale patches contrasting with darker margins, and the flight feathers are barred. The bill is hooked and dark-tipped with a yellow base, the legs and feet are yellow, and the eyes are dark. This combination of broad wings, short neck and rounded silhouette helps separate the buzzard from larger eagles and from the more angular, long-tailed kites and harriers.

What does a buzzard eat and how does it hunt?

The common buzzard is a true generalist predator, and more than 300 prey species have been recorded across its range. The bulk of its diet is small mammals, especially voles, mice, rabbits and young hares, and in many regions vole abundance directly influences how many chicks a pair can raise. It also takes small and medium birds, reptiles, amphibians, large insects and, importantly, earthworms, which it gathers by walking over damp pasture. Carrion is a significant food source, particularly in winter, and buzzards are frequently seen feeding on roadkill and dead livestock. Hunting is typically unspectacular: the bird perches patiently on a post, pole or bare branch and drops onto prey it has spotted below, or quarters slowly over open ground. It will also soar and, less often, hover briefly in a headwind. This flexible, low-energy approach allows the buzzard to thrive in farmland, woodland edge, moorland and even the fringes of towns, wherever there is a mix of open hunting ground and trees or crags for nesting.

Why has the buzzard become so common again?

For much of the 19th and early 20th centuries the buzzard was heavily persecuted across Britain, shot and poisoned on game estates and squeezed back into the wilder west and north. Numbers fell further in the 1950s when myxomatosis devastated the rabbit, a key prey, and when agricultural pesticides affected many birds of prey. From the late 20th century, however, the picture reversed dramatically. Legal protection, a decline in illegal persecution in many areas, the recovery of rabbit populations and the buzzard's own dietary flexibility allowed it to spread back eastwards across England. It is now found in nearly every part of the country and is widely regarded as the UK's most numerous bird of prey. The species' adaptability, its willingness to eat carrion and earthworms, and its tolerance of farmed landscapes have all helped. This recovery is a genuine conservation success story, though buzzards can still fall victim to illegal poisoning, collisions with vehicles and overhead lines, and localised persecution.

Buzzard vs Red Kite: how to tell them apart

Feature	Common Buzzard	Red Kite
Wing shape	Broad, rounded; held in shallow V when soaring	Long, narrow, angled; flexed in flight
Tail	Short, fanned, rounded	Long, deeply forked, twisted in flight
Plumage	Variable brown, often with pale chest band	Rich rufous body, pale head, bold white wing patches
Flight style	Slow soaring and patient perching	Buoyant, agile, constantly steering with tail
Call	Cat-like mewing 'pee-yow'	Thinner, wavering whistle
Main food	Small mammals, earthworms, carrion	Largely carrion and scraps, some small prey

What WARN Does

WARN does not run field projects dedicated specifically to the common buzzard, which is widespread and secure across Britain and Europe and largely outside the countries where WARN's partners work. This guide is part of WARN's free educational library, written to help people understand and value the wildlife around them. The threats that shaped the buzzard's story, habitat loss, poisoning and persecution, are the same pressures that endanger the raptors and other animals WARN's partners do protect on the ground.

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Common Buzzard: Frequently Asked Questions

Is a buzzard the same as a hawk?

In British usage a buzzard is a particular kind of broad-winged hawk in the genus Buteo, so it is a hawk in the broad sense but distinct from sparrowhawks and goshawks. Confusingly, in North America birds of the same genus are called 'hawks' (such as the red-tailed hawk), while 'buzzard' there usually refers to a vulture. The British 'buzzard' is a soaring raptor, not a vulture.

What sound does a buzzard make?

The common buzzard's signature call is a loud, plaintive, cat-like mewing, often written as 'pee-yow' or 'peee-oo'. It carries a long way and is frequently heard from birds soaring high overhead, sometimes before the bird itself is spotted. Buzzards use the call in display, to keep contact with a mate, and when defending their territory, making it one of the most recognisable sounds of open countryside.

How big is a common buzzard?

A common buzzard is a medium-large raptor, typically 40-58 cm long with a wingspan of about 109-140 cm. It is considerably smaller than an eagle but clearly larger and bulkier than a kestrel or sparrowhawk. As with most birds of prey, females are noticeably larger and heavier than males. Body weight varies widely by region and season, generally falling somewhere between roughly 0.4 and 1.4 kg.

Do buzzards attack pets, livestock or people?

Buzzards very rarely pose any threat to people, and attacks on humans are exceptional, usually limited to a bird defending its nest from someone who has come too close. They mainly take small mammals, earthworms and carrion, so healthy cats, dogs and adult livestock are not realistic prey. Very small pets left unsupervised carry a tiny theoretical risk, but in practice buzzards avoid people and large animals.

Where do buzzards live and nest?

Common buzzards live across most of Europe and into western and central Asia, with British birds present year-round in nearly every county. They favour a mix of open country for hunting, farmland, moorland, rough pasture, and woodland or scattered trees for nesting. Pairs build a bulky stick nest, often lined with green foliage, in a tall tree or occasionally on a crag, and frequently reuse and enlarge it over several years.

Are buzzards protected and is their population safe?

Yes. The common buzzard is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with a very large global population that is stable or increasing. In the UK it is fully protected by law, and after recovering from heavy historical persecution it is now the country's most common bird of prey. It is also listed on CITES Appendix II, which regulates international trade in the species and its parts.

What do common buzzards eat?

Common Buzzards eat Small mammals, birds, earthworms, carrion. A common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-large, broad-winged bird of prey and Britain's most common and widespread raptor.

Are common buzzards dangerous?

Common Buzzards are not generally dangerous to people. A common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-large, broad-winged bird of prey and Britain's most common and widespread raptor. Give wild individuals space and do not corner or handle them.

How long do common buzzards live?

A precise wild lifespan for common buzzards is not firmly established in the sources cited on this guide. A common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-large, broad-winged bird of prey and Britain's most common and widespread raptor. Where longevity figures appear in the literature they vary by region, sex and whether animals are wild or captive.

Sources & References

Population figures, conservation status and biological facts on this page are drawn from authoritative scientific and intergovernmental sources.

Terms used on this page

Plain-English definitions, from our wildlife and conservation glossary.

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