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Buzzards (1 Viewer)

songbird6666

Registered User
Did anyone watch The Natural World on BBC2 last night on the Norfolk Broads? A very interesting programme but something that caught my attention and I found surprising was the bit showing a vixen and her cubs, and a Buzzard and the commentary went along the lines of "the fox cub will make a tasty meal for the buzzard". I thought Buzzards fed on carrion almost entirely, but would catch the occasional small rodent, baby rabbit maybe or a mouse or vole? If they would take a live fox cub, should people fear for their pets (say puppies or kittens) in that case? :h?:
 
Yes indeed! Owls also have been known to take pets, Foxes will take adult cats too, hence the reason for keeping an eye out for your pets.
 
The Buzzard is in general a lazy bird and will make use of carrion sooner than waste energy.
Their main diet consists of rabbit ( hence the Buzzards decline when myxomatosis wiped out 99% of the rabbit population in most areas ) but they will take small birds, voles, amphibians, reptiles and small invertebrates.
The only real possible threat to puppies or kittens is from an escaped captive bird that is hungry and free from fear of human contact.

Suricate
 
"The Buzzard is in general a lazy bird..."

Poor old buzzard being labelled as if it were somehow capable of exhibiting human traits... We so often speak of animals in this anthropomorphised way. I often wonder what they are really like!
 
HI Steve,
Have you not watched them ? they are a wonderful bird ( my favourite ) but they would sooner scavenge than hunt.
Suricate
 
scampo said:
"The Buzzard is in general a lazy bird..."

Poor old buzzard being labelled as if it were somehow capable of exhibiting human traits... We so often speak of animals in this anthropomorphised way. I often wonder what they are really like!

Hi Steve,

Would it perhaps be fairer to say that buzzards don't waste energy?

Anthony
 
I think of buzzards as being a little cowardly as I have seen them chased off may times by crows so I would be surprised if they would go after anything big.
 
senatore said:
I think of buzzards as being a little cowardly as I have seen them chased off may times by crows so I would be surprised if they would go after anything big.
Hi senatore. Crows are renowned for "mobbing" birds of prey. Sometimes the buzzard/red kite etc will retaliate, but from my experience, they usually tend to move on, anything for a quiet life!

This pic shows a magpie going after the buzzard, which promptly moved on!


Regards
 

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Suricate said:
HI Steve,
Have you not watched them ? they are a wonderful bird ( my favourite ) but they would sooner scavenge than hunt.
Suricate
Yes - I'm with you, they are sometime awe inspiring to watch, especially when they are teaching their young tricks in the air or when the young are being playful (there I go, using human traits... (-; ). They're not my favourite bird, though - but now you've made me think what is...
 
Anthony Morton said:
Hi Steve,

Would it perhaps be fairer to say that buzzards don't waste energy?

Anthony
Hello Anthony

I expect it would - but I suppose few animals do, knowingly.

PS How're the eyes, Anthony? Fully recovered, I hope.
 
helenol said:
Hi senatore. Crows are renowned for "mobbing" birds of prey. Sometimes the buzzard/red kite etc will retaliate, but from my experience, they usually tend to move on, anything for a quiet life!

This pic shows a magpie going after the buzzard, which promptly moved on!


Regards
Lovely shot, Helen - now that is one of my favourite views. I'm always entranced when I see a raptor being mobbed and love the way they try hard to ignore the other bird, as you say, for a quiet life.

What a difference in size your shot shows between those two birds.
 
senatore said:
I think of buzzards as being a little cowardly as I have seen them chased off may times by crows so I would be surprised if they would go after anything big.
I expect they would if they were hungry, though. Birds are odd things in that way - I always thought greenfinches were aggressive, but this year we've attracted several goldfinches to the feeders and, wow - they show the greenfinches a thing or two, even though they are the slightly smaller bird.
 
buzzards are fantastic birds!. its always a great surprise when all is quiet - your scanning the tree tops, then suddenly a huge buzzard soars directly over you!. i have never seen one catch its own live prey though, i presume they do. and i am always surprised when rather smaller birds, jackdaws etc scare them off, i suppose they would not be interested in a battle - more inportant things like finding food are what they are concerned about!
 
Buzzards do take Woodpigeon, I've seen one snatch one out of the air like a slow motion Peregrine, and another tumbling down thru' a tree trying to catch one.
I think they find it earier to bite the head off an earthworm, they don't move so quickly!
 
Suricate said:
The only real possible threat to puppies or kittens is from an escaped captive bird that is hungry and free from fear of human contact.
Judging by what the late Chris Mead once told me, it would only take small ones as the Buzzard is too light a bird to cope with a full-grown cat.
 
senatore said:
I think of buzzards as being a little cowardly as I have seen them chased off may times by crows so I would be surprised if they would go after anything big.

I did see one having a prolonged aerial fight with a Raven, ending in a draw when both birds decided simultaneously that they had had enough. They can't do much against Crows, since the crows are too manouverable.

Crows will mob anything, even Goshawk and Peregrine, though one crow which was in a group mobbing a Peregrine was given cause to regret it when the Peregrine hit it with a thud that was clearly audible at quite a distance.
 
I've seen buzzards flying over Cambridge, close to the centre. Assuming that not many people leave dead pet rabbits in their gardens :eek!: , it it looking for live food, kittens etc?
 
SarahK said:
I've seen buzzards flying over Cambridge, close to the centre. Assuming that not many people leave dead pet rabbits in their gardens :eek!: , it it looking for live food, kittens etc?
I shouldn't think so, Sarah!
They may be looking for roadkills but more likely just young birds looking for a new territory. We've had buzzards soaring over the town where i live for over twenty years and I've never heard of an instance of one trying to take a pet!
Enjoy watching them and don't worry!

Cheers,

Andy.
 
I agree they are not too likely to take a pet, but if it is sleeping, then it can and does happen. I have heard of it but not seen it, thankfully, but the buzzard is the least likely to take an active pet, more common carrion, unless it is very hungry.
 
I've seen them feeding in the grass next to French motorways frequently. In fact they are very common along the motorways, sitting on the fence poles. The way they drop off the poles after food I have presumed it was live. They always enliven my holiday journeys.


Rob
 
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