![]() In Scotland, many tourists hoping to see an eagle mistake buzzards for their quarry.In the USA, the word buzzard is often used to describe the native turkey vultures.Buzzards have never been popular with falconers, as they tend to be far too lazy to be taught to fly at live quarry.Most individuals are brown and heavily marked, but some are almost white. Buzzards have remarkably variable plumage.It is because of its highly variable plumage that the French call it the buse (buzzard) variable.Buzzards breed in every European country except Iceland, but are absent from some offshore island groups, including the Balearics.It's main requirement is a tree at least 20ft high in which to nest. This is a very adaptable species, able to survive in a wide variety of habitats from lowland farms to high mountains.Though most buzzards nest in trees, rocky crags or cliffs are also used.Buzzards build their own nest, and they have a curious habit of decorating it with fresh green foliage.Each pair will have as many as 21 potential nest sites, usually changing to a fresh site every year.Though the buzzard can tolerate areas of high rainfall, it prefers temperate climates, so is scarce or absent in the far north of Europe, where the rough-legged buzzard takes its place.It doesn't like hot or arid areas either, so in Eastern Europe the long-legged buzzard replaces it.Once restricted largely to the west and north of mainland Britain, the last 15 years have seen a remarkable expansion of these birds to the east.While British buzzards are largely resident, many northern populations are highly migratory, many moving to Africa during the northern winter.For the first time for 200 years they now breed in every county in England, Wales and Scotland.It is thought that the buzzard is now our commonest bird of prey, pushing the kestrel into second place.Despite its impressive size, the buzzard is not a major predator, preferring a diet of carrion and earthworms.Numbers are greatest where the fields are smallest, as it favours abundant hedgerows and small woods.However, a hungry buzzard is quite capable of killing a wide variety of prey, ranging from rabbits to birds up to the size of a wood pigeon, but any larger prey tackled was probably already sick.Among the more unusual items recorded as being killed and eaten are puffins, frogs and dung beetles.
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