Hawkmaster
27-01-2005, 10:20 PM
California condor (Gymnogyps Californianus)
Cape Eagle Owl (Bubo Capensis)
Cape griffon (Gyps Coprotheres)
Cape Verde buzzard (Buteo bannermani)
Cape Verde kite (Milvus Fasciicauda)
Carunculated Caracara (Phalcoboenus carunculatus)
Cassin's hawk-eagle (Spizaetus africanus)
Chaco owl (Strix Chacoensis)
Chestnut owlet (Glaucidium Castaneum)
Chestnut-flanked sparrowhawk (Accipiter castanilius)
Chimango Caracara (Milvago chimango)
Chilean hawk (Accipiter Chilensis)
Chinese goshawk (Accipiter Soloensis)
Christmas hawk owl (Ninox Natalis)
Cinereous vulture (Aegypius Monachus)
Cinereous vulture (cf. black vulture)
Cinnamon screech owl (Otus Petersoni)
Cloudforest screech owl (Otus Marshalli)
Collared owlet (Glaucidium Brodiei)
Collared scops owl (Otus Lettia)
Collared scops-owl (Otus Lettia)
Colombian screech owl (Otus Colombianus)
Common barn owl (cf. barn owl)
Common black-hawk (Buteogallus Anthracinus)
Common Buzzard (Buteo Buteo)
The commonest UK bird of prey, it is quite large with broad, rounded wings, and a short neck and tail. When gliding and soaring it will often hold its wings in a shallow 'V'. It is variable in colour from all dark brown to birds with pale heads and breasts, all have dark wingtips and an unbanded tail.
Where does it live?
Breeding
Likes trees and hilly crags for nesting with open farmland and moorland nearby to feed over.
Where to see it?
Greatest numbers in Scotland, Wales, the Lake District and SW England. Found on farmland with wooded hills, moorland and in more arable areas to the east where it is spreading. Look for birds soaring over wooded hillsides in fine weather, or perched on fence posts and pylons.
What does it eat?
Small mammals, birds and carrion.
What does it sound like?
A loud 'mewing' call - 'pee-uuu'
When to see it?
All year round. Birds soar, display and call most in spring.
Did you know?
The buzzard has one of the most variable plumages of any wild bird, and so the identification can be difficult. It is readily confused with honey buzzard, rough-legged buzzard, hen harrier, marsh harrier, red kite, and even golden eagle.
The name buzzard comes from the French busard and replaced the Old English name of tysca. Falconers considered buzzards worthless, and the word buzzard is still used colloquially by some to denote stupidity.
The colloquial name gled means glider, whilst puddock or puttock indicates a dependence on frogs and toads.
The newest name for the buzzard is tourists eagle, a rather unkind name coined by the Scots due to the regularity with which visitors mistake buzzards for golden eagles.
Population trends and distribution
Buzzards once bred throughout Britain and Ireland, but persecution since the 18th century resulted in the species being confined into relict populations in the west of England, Wales and Scotland.
Reduced persecution during the two World Wars allowed the species to start to recover. The myxomatosis outbreak in the early 1950s decimated the main food supply of the buzzards reducing their numbers again. Buzzards suffered greatly from the organochlorine pesticide contamination in the 1950s and 1960s that affected their reproduction. This depressed their numbers and prevented any range expansion until the withdrawal of these pesticides.
There was a reduction in persecution as gamekeepers in many lowland areas came to appreciate that buzzards pose a very limited threat to game shooting interests. As these threats lessened, buzzard numbers started to slowly increase in Britain, and they returned to Northern Ireland in the 1950s.
The slow expansion along the edge of the main range has speeded up over the last few years, and the species is now rapidly recolonising its former range.
Today, the buzzard is one of our commonest raptors, but the current UK distribution still reflects past persecution. Following a major range expansion in the 1990s, the buzzard distribution is now continuous throughout western and central Britain, and since 2000 they have nested in every UK county.
In the strongholds of parts of West Country, Wales and Scotland almost all suitable habitat is now occupied. Although the numbers in the newly colonised areas are still low, there is real hope that the species will soon be able to re-occupy most of its former range. In 2001, the UK population was estimated at around 44,000-61,000 territorial pairs.
Common kestrel (cf. kestrel)
Comoro scops owl (Otus Pauliani)
Congo serpent-eagle (Dryotriorchis Spectabilis)
Cooper's hawk (Accipiter Cooperii)
Crane hawk (Geranospiza Caerulescens)
Crested baza (Aviceda Subscristata)
Crested caracara (Polyborus Plancus)
Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway)
Crested eagle (Morphnus Guianensis)
Crested goshawk (Accipiter Trivirgatus)
Crested honey buzzard (cf. siberian honey buzzard)
Crested owl (Lophostrix Cristata)
Crested serpent-eagle (Spilornis Cheela)
Crowned eagle (Harpyhaliaetus Coronatus)
Crowned hawk eagle (Stephanoaetus Coronatus)
Cuban pygmy-owl (Glaucidium Siju)
Cuban screech-owl (Gymnoglaux Lawrensis)
Cape Eagle Owl (Bubo Capensis)
Cape griffon (Gyps Coprotheres)
Cape Verde buzzard (Buteo bannermani)
Cape Verde kite (Milvus Fasciicauda)
Carunculated Caracara (Phalcoboenus carunculatus)
Cassin's hawk-eagle (Spizaetus africanus)
Chaco owl (Strix Chacoensis)
Chestnut owlet (Glaucidium Castaneum)
Chestnut-flanked sparrowhawk (Accipiter castanilius)
Chimango Caracara (Milvago chimango)
Chilean hawk (Accipiter Chilensis)
Chinese goshawk (Accipiter Soloensis)
Christmas hawk owl (Ninox Natalis)
Cinereous vulture (Aegypius Monachus)
Cinereous vulture (cf. black vulture)
Cinnamon screech owl (Otus Petersoni)
Cloudforest screech owl (Otus Marshalli)
Collared owlet (Glaucidium Brodiei)
Collared scops owl (Otus Lettia)
Collared scops-owl (Otus Lettia)
Colombian screech owl (Otus Colombianus)
Common barn owl (cf. barn owl)
Common black-hawk (Buteogallus Anthracinus)
Common Buzzard (Buteo Buteo)
The commonest UK bird of prey, it is quite large with broad, rounded wings, and a short neck and tail. When gliding and soaring it will often hold its wings in a shallow 'V'. It is variable in colour from all dark brown to birds with pale heads and breasts, all have dark wingtips and an unbanded tail.
Where does it live?
Breeding
Likes trees and hilly crags for nesting with open farmland and moorland nearby to feed over.
Where to see it?
Greatest numbers in Scotland, Wales, the Lake District and SW England. Found on farmland with wooded hills, moorland and in more arable areas to the east where it is spreading. Look for birds soaring over wooded hillsides in fine weather, or perched on fence posts and pylons.
What does it eat?
Small mammals, birds and carrion.
What does it sound like?
A loud 'mewing' call - 'pee-uuu'
When to see it?
All year round. Birds soar, display and call most in spring.
Did you know?
The buzzard has one of the most variable plumages of any wild bird, and so the identification can be difficult. It is readily confused with honey buzzard, rough-legged buzzard, hen harrier, marsh harrier, red kite, and even golden eagle.
The name buzzard comes from the French busard and replaced the Old English name of tysca. Falconers considered buzzards worthless, and the word buzzard is still used colloquially by some to denote stupidity.
The colloquial name gled means glider, whilst puddock or puttock indicates a dependence on frogs and toads.
The newest name for the buzzard is tourists eagle, a rather unkind name coined by the Scots due to the regularity with which visitors mistake buzzards for golden eagles.
Population trends and distribution
Buzzards once bred throughout Britain and Ireland, but persecution since the 18th century resulted in the species being confined into relict populations in the west of England, Wales and Scotland.
Reduced persecution during the two World Wars allowed the species to start to recover. The myxomatosis outbreak in the early 1950s decimated the main food supply of the buzzards reducing their numbers again. Buzzards suffered greatly from the organochlorine pesticide contamination in the 1950s and 1960s that affected their reproduction. This depressed their numbers and prevented any range expansion until the withdrawal of these pesticides.
There was a reduction in persecution as gamekeepers in many lowland areas came to appreciate that buzzards pose a very limited threat to game shooting interests. As these threats lessened, buzzard numbers started to slowly increase in Britain, and they returned to Northern Ireland in the 1950s.
The slow expansion along the edge of the main range has speeded up over the last few years, and the species is now rapidly recolonising its former range.
Today, the buzzard is one of our commonest raptors, but the current UK distribution still reflects past persecution. Following a major range expansion in the 1990s, the buzzard distribution is now continuous throughout western and central Britain, and since 2000 they have nested in every UK county.
In the strongholds of parts of West Country, Wales and Scotland almost all suitable habitat is now occupied. Although the numbers in the newly colonised areas are still low, there is real hope that the species will soon be able to re-occupy most of its former range. In 2001, the UK population was estimated at around 44,000-61,000 territorial pairs.
Common kestrel (cf. kestrel)
Comoro scops owl (Otus Pauliani)
Congo serpent-eagle (Dryotriorchis Spectabilis)
Cooper's hawk (Accipiter Cooperii)
Crane hawk (Geranospiza Caerulescens)
Crested baza (Aviceda Subscristata)
Crested caracara (Polyborus Plancus)
Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway)
Crested eagle (Morphnus Guianensis)
Crested goshawk (Accipiter Trivirgatus)
Crested honey buzzard (cf. siberian honey buzzard)
Crested owl (Lophostrix Cristata)
Crested serpent-eagle (Spilornis Cheela)
Crowned eagle (Harpyhaliaetus Coronatus)
Crowned hawk eagle (Stephanoaetus Coronatus)
Cuban pygmy-owl (Glaucidium Siju)
Cuban screech-owl (Gymnoglaux Lawrensis)