Buzzard

Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Buzzard, provided by xeno-canto contributors.

This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

UK Birds of Conservation Concern	Green listed
Species of European Conservation Concern	Least Concern
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global)	Least Concern
Schedule 1 license required (to disturb)	No
Birds Directive Annex 1	No
Listed on the Annexes of	Bern(III), Bonn(II), CITES(II)

The Buzzard has shown a substantial eastward range expansion since the 1988-91 Atlas and is now an almost ubiquitous breeding bird in the UK (Balmer et al. 2013). For more than a decade it has been the most abundant UK raptor (Clements 2002). The increasing trend identified by the CBC relates especially to the spread of range into central and eastern Britain, where CBC was strongly represented. If anything, however, the upsurge has been amplified with the addition of the more widely representative BBS data since 1994. Results from a transect survey specifically targeting Buzzards in central southern England, between 2011 and 2016, were in line with the BBS southern region trend (Stevens, M et al. 2019). The BBS map of change in relative density between 1994-96 and 2007-09 indicates that, apart from some small pockets of decrease on Dartmoor and Exmoor, in Wales and on the Isle of Lewis, increase has occurred generally throughout the UK range. BBS suggests that numbers in Scotland and Wales are stable over the most recent 10-year period. There has been an increase across Europe since 1980, though with little change and possibly a slight decline since 1990 (PECBMS: PECBMS 2020a>). Though breeding success is still rising overall, a decrease in productivity has been documented in Avon, per pair but not per unit area, as the population has risen (Prytherch 2013) .

UK breeding population

+80% increase (1995–2022)

Buzzards are now widespread year-round all across Britain and in the eastern half of Ireland. Densities are still lower in eastern England than elsewhere.

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Occupied 10-km squares in UK

No. occupied in breeding season	2743
% occupied in breeding season	91
No. occupied in winter	2815
% occupied in winter	93

European Distribution Map

European Breeding Bird Atlas 2

Breeding Season Habitats

Most frequent in

Scrub, Pasture Farmland, Deciduous Wood, Coniferous Wood

Relative frequency by habitat

Relative occurrence in different habitat types during the breeding season.

The range has more than doubled and spread eastwards since the 1970s.

Buzzards are present year-round.

View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

View number ringed each year in the Online Ringing Report

Maximum Age from Ringing	30 years 5 months 21 days (set in 2016)
Typical Lifespan	12 years with breeding typically at 3 year
Adult Survival	0.9
Juvenile Survival	0.63 (to age 3)

Body Weight

Adults

828±188.9 | Range 620–1230g, N=20

Feather measurements and photos on featherbase

Ring size	G (pulli G or H)
Field Codes	2-letter: BZ | 5-letter code: BUZZA | Euring: 2870

For information in another language (where available) click on a linked name

Causes of change

There is good evidence that the increase in population numbers is associated with rapidly improving nesting success, which has been linked to reduced persecution (and therefore improved survival) and increased food supplies, for example due to the recovery of rabbit populations from the effects of myxomatosis. It is not possible to say which is the more important driver.

Further information on causes of change

As the figures above show, there has been an increase in the number of fledglings per breeding attempt and a decrease in daily failure rates at the egg stage. As such, the increase in population numbers has been associated with rapidly improving nesting success, through reduced persecution, the recovery of rabbit populations from the effects of myxomatosis and release from the deleterious effects of organochlorine pesticides (Elliott & Avery 1991, Sim et al. 2000, 2001a, Clements 2002). Numbers of Buzzard were relatively stable until the late 1980s when the population size began increasing steeply. Elliott & Avery (1991) analysed data collected by the RSPB to provide good evidence that, during 1975-89, persecution was a factor in restricting the Buzzard's range. Halley (1993) found that levels of persecution in Scotland had fallen and postulated that this was a factor in the increase in Buzzard population size. In a study of two local populations in Scotland, Swann & Etheridge (1995) provided some evidence to show that persecution was a factor in restricting population density at the site that benefited from higher productivity, although they did not specifically analyse the effects of persecution. Sim et al. (2000) provide good evidence from Buzzard populations in the West Midlands that persecution levels, especially poisonings, were lower in the 1990s when the population started increasing and state that higher survival rate due to reduced persecution was likely to be one of the main factors responsible for the rapid increase in the Buzzard population in this area. Gibbons et al. (1995) found that Buzzards were less common in the uplands where grouse moors were most frequent, stating that this was due to either persecution, unsuitable habitat management or lack of food, although did not specify which was the most important driver.

There is also good evidence to support the role of changing food availability in population increases. Graham et al. (1995) showed that Buzzard breeding density was positively related to lagomorph abundance and Swann & Etheridge (1995) found that Buzzards laid larger clutches, produced bigger broods and had significantly higher productivity where rabbits were more common. Sim et al. (2000, 2001a) also provided good evidence that increased productivity coincided with an increase in rabbit abundance. Other studies have also found that breeding success is related to food availability (Kostrzewa & Kostrzewa 1991, Austin & Houston 1997, Goszczynski 1997, 2001, Rooney et al. 2015). It is, therefore, plausible that Buzzard distribution is influenced by rabbit abundance, which has increased since rabbits have overcome the effects of myxomatosis. However, more recent declines in rabbit populations, which have been shown through BBS mammal monitoring, have not stalled the upward trend in the Buzzard population. Diet can be highly variable between years and across different geographical areas: see review in chapter 2 in Walls & Kenward (2020). A study on a Scottish grouse moor found that voles were an important prey item during both the breeding season and winter at that site, and suggested that the proportion of small mammals in prey may not necessarily be accurately estimated in studies looking at prey remains (Francksen et al. 2016a, 2016b, 2019). The same study also found that Buzzard did not switch to grouse in poor vole years (Francksen et al. 2017).

Habitat change may have played some role in the increases. High Buzzard breeding densities were associated with high proportions of unimproved pasture and mature woodland within estimated territories (Sim et al. 2000) and Sergio et al. (2002, 2005) found that Buzzard productivity benefited from the conversion of coppice woodland to mature forest in Italy. In Poland, the spread of oilseed rape has boosted vole populations (of a species not found in UK) and Buzzard productivity has correspondingly improved (Panek & Husek 2014). There is also some evidence that breeding success is related to climate, although there is little evidence for this from the UK. In Germany, Kostrzewa & Kostrzewa (1990) provide evidence to show that the number of young fledged was negatively correlated with rainfall in April and May. Although there is no evidence to support this, it is worth noting that these possible habitat/climate effects and food effects are not mutually exclusive.

Information about conservation actions

This species is currently among the fastest increasing species in the UK, and hence no specific conservation actions are currently required.

Reduced persecution is likely to have contributed to the increases, and therefore maintaining low levels of persecution may be important if the current population level is to be sustained.

There is some evidence that rabbit abundance may influence the distribution and abundance of buzzard and hence maintaining rabbit populations may also be important for this species (see Causes of Change section). However, this evidence is uncertain as Buzzards can take a wide variety of prey items including voles and even invertebrates (Walls & Kenward 2020).