Who do you think a buzzard is? Sounds like a horse, doesn't it? You won't guess anything anyway! The buzzard is a feathered predator. Frankly speaking, this is not the name of a single species of birds, but of a whole subfamily. In this article, we will take a closer look at these birds using the common buzzard, or buzzard as an example.
Who are buzzards?
As noted above, ornithologists call buzzards a subfamily (genus) of birds of prey representing the hawk family. Scientists are still systematizing these birds, collecting them, as they say, bit by bit. Therefore, the classification of buzzards is constantly changing. For example, not so long ago, this subfamily included genera of birds, which were previously generally classified as a separate subfamily of eagles.
Distribution
The buzzard is a bird of prey distributed throughout Europe, as well as in Asia. Its favorite habitats are wooded areas, bounded from the north by the Arctic Circle, and from the south by the treeless deserts of Central and Central Asia and Iran. As you can see, the distribution range of these predators from the Old Worldleaves much to be desired.
The buzzard is a proud bird
Despite its simple name, the common buzzard, or buzzard, is not a simple bird at all, and not even a granivorous one. This proud predator represents the hawk family. The buzzard cannot be called a purely migratory bird, because pride and iron restraint do not allow these robbers to be afraid of the cold and, as a result, fly south. Only one subspecies of these creatures is migratory - the small buzzard. From the middle zone of our country, these birds move to the southern regions of Asia and Africa.
Appearance
Buzzard is a medium-sized bird. The length of her body ranges from 50 to 58 centimeters. The wingspan can reach 1.3 meters. This predator weighs from 450 grams to 1.4 kilograms. Unlike many other animals, female buzzards tend to be larger than males. The coloration of these birds is different. While some individuals have fawn feathers, others are dark brown.
By the way, buzzard is easy to confuse with its close relative, the upland buzzard, or with a distant relative, the common honey buzzard. The latter birds generally copy the color of buzzards in order to protect themselves from their enemies - goshawks. Juveniles tend to have more variegated colors. Here is such a colorful buzzard bird! The voice of these feathered robbers has an unpleasant nasal tone, reminiscent of the plaintive meow of cats.
Buzzard colors
Now let's take a closer look at the colors of these birds of prey. As mentioned above, colortheir feathers can be completely different. Ornithologists notice that it is almost impossible to see two identical buzzards in nature! Some buzzards are colored brown or black and have transverse stripes on their tails. There are also birds whose back and chest have a dirty brown color. At the same time, their other parts of the body are painted in gray-brown colors and diluted with dark spots.
In nature, there are also light brown buzzards with pure black spots and transverse tail stripes. But the colors of buzzards are not limited to this. Again, the buzzard is not only a bird of prey, but also a multi-colored one! So, for example, some birds have pale yellow legs, bright yellow cere and a dark tip of their beak. Their cornea is colored reddish-brown, which becomes gray with age. Such an unusual buzzard bird.
What does a buzzard eat?
Because buzzards are predators, their diet is reduced to animal feed: voles, ground squirrels, rats, rabbits, small birds, etc. Ornithologists have found that in some cases, common buzzards can feed on carrion (animal carcasses). Buzzards also eat hamsters, frogs and even small rabbits. Often attacked by snakes.
To eat this or that mouse, this predator needs to hunt exclusively in open spaces. To do this, a bird can slowly soar in the air for hours or even hunt from an ambush located on some kind of hill. In principle, any buzzard earns its livelihood in this way. The bird we are describing hereconsidered, different and peculiar behavior.
Behavior and lifestyle
Representatives of the subfamily, or genus of buzzards, can be recognized by their characteristic landing. The buzzard demonstrates this especially clearly. Usually he shrinks and tucks one leg under him. Scientists say that in this position, common buzzards do two things at the same time: they rest and vigilantly look out for their prey, carefully looking around.
As noted above, the buzzard is a soaring bird. This predator flies for a long time and is completely silent. Having spotted any mouse or ground squirrel, the buzzard falls down like a stone, tightly pressing its wings to the body. In order not to crash on the ground, the bird spreads its wings directly in front of the ground, flies in this position for some distance, after which it ruthlessly grabs the prey.
The buzzard is a bird whose cry is almost indistinguishable from anyone else. A plaintive and lingering “meow” is the “business card” of these feathered robbers! By the way, linguists believe that the verb "to whine" came precisely from the feline manner of buzzards to pronounce their nasal sounds: when, for example, a child begs for something from his parents for a long time, they usually say that he is moaning.
Reproduction
The mating season for buzzards begins at the end of April. Like many other living beings, there are fights between males for the location of the female. The formed buzzard pairs are engaged in the construction of new nests or strengthening old ones. Usually their nesting is located at a height of 6 to 18 meters above ground level. Must be near neststhere are deciduous or coniferous trees. Usually the laying of buzzards consists of 4-5 eggs of pale green color with brown spots.
Only females are engaged in incubation. Males also bring food at this time. The incubation period of eggs lasts a little over a month. The young are born in early summer. Newly hatched chicks are already covered with gray fluff. Both parents feed them for 1.5 months. Already at the end of August, the chicks begin an independent life. It is also curious that if, for one reason or another, the first brood did not take place, female common buzzards can easily lay one more clutch during the season.
Lifespan
Usually representatives of the buzzard subfamily live up to 20-25 years in the wild. The maximum duration of their life span is about 35 years.
What is useful buzzard?
The common buzzard is a useful bird. In one day, she eats up to 35 small rodents. If we translate this value into more serious numbers, we get about 11,000 rodents per year. Without any doubt, the feathered robber is thus of great benefit to the environment and agriculture, as it destroys harmful animals. By the way, if there are quite a lot of mice, then buzzards generally stop paying their attention to other living creatures. What a useful helper he is - this buzzard!
The bird (pictures are presented in the article) is a success among ornithologists and lovers not onlyas a rodent exterminator, but also as a killer of vipers! Unfortunately, nature has not endowed these birds with immunity from the poison of vipers. Therefore, sometimes the snake and the buzzard exterminate each other.
Nevertheless, in most cases, the feathered robber still emerges victorious from this deadly fight. Ornithologists say that such courage and ingenuity are inherent in all representatives of the buzzard genus. In captivity, these birds show sophisticated cunning.
