THHl EUROPEAN BUZZARD. 205 



70. Buteo buteo (Linn^us). 



EUROPEAN BUZZARD. 



Falco biifeo LiNN^US, Systema Naturee, ed. 10, i, 1758, 90. 

 Buteo buteo Lichtenstein, Nomenclator Museo Berolinensis, 1854, 3. 



(B — , C — R 435. C -, U 33(i.) 



Geographical range : Northern portions of eastern hemisphere ; accidental in 



the United States, Michigan (?) 



The coiniuou European Buzzard is admitted to a phice in the North 

 American avifauna on a somewhat questionable record. It certaiidy does 

 not breed with us. It is a common species throughout the greater part ot" 

 the continent ot" Europe, a resident in the southern portion of its range, and 

 onh' a summer visitor in the northern parts. 



Mr. Henry Seebohm, in his excellent work on "British Birds," describes 

 the breeding habits of the Buzzard as follows: "The Buzzard breeds on the 

 outskirts of the forests, whence it issues in search of food, and may often 

 be seen perched on the bare hillsides, waiting for mice and other small 

 mammals, or may be observed crossing the open fields with somewhat heavy 

 and indolent flight. It is equally common in dry as in swampy A'soods, and 

 breeds in pine forests as freely as in those of beech and oak. In the forests 

 near Brunswick, I found the nests mostly in Ijeecli and oak, but in Pome- 

 rania many were in Scotch firs, one in a birch, and one in an elm. * * * 

 The Buzzard builds a nest from 1^ to 2 feet in diameter, and if it is in a 

 fork of a tree, sometimes nearly as high. The foundation is of large twigs, 

 finished at the top with slender twigs. It is very flat, the hollow in the 

 middle, containing the eggs, about the size and depth of a soup plate. Tlie 

 final lining is fresh green leaves, generally beech; Ijut in one nest, although 

 it was in a beech tree, the lining was green larch twigs. This lining- must 

 be renewed from time to time. Out of eleven nests near Brunswick, five 

 of Avliich contained eggs, five young birds, and one three eggs and a young- 

 bird, all but one were lined with fresh leaves. * * * 



"The nests varied from 50 to 90 feet from the ground, Ijut some, to 

 which we did not attempt to clind), were higher. In Pomerania I saw sev- 

 eral nests in Scotch firs, not more than 25 feet from the ground. My friend 

 Dr. Holland, -wlio has ])aid great attention to the birds of prey in Pomerania 

 for many years, informs me that the Buzzard begins to lay about the middle 

 of April, that the period of incubation lasts three weeks, and that the male 

 relieves the female at her duties. He tells me that, besides small mammals, 

 the Buzzard will eat grasshoppers and other insects, reptiles, and occasionally 

 small birds, if it gets a chance of catching them sitting. The spines of the 

 hedgehog have been found in the stomach of the Buzzard, and Dr. Holland 

 also mentioned an instance of a female bird having been found dead on the 

 nest, with a live viper under her. 



