312 COMMON BUZZARD. 



westward, the Common Buzzard is generally distributed throughout 

 Europe ; migrating to some extent from Northern Germany during 

 the colder months — when immense flights have been observed over 

 Heligoland — but residing in the central districts. In the south of 

 Europe, though sometimes seen on passage in very large numbers, it 

 is rather local as a breeding-species ; while in North Africa, Egypt, 

 and Western Asia, the resident form is the aforesaid B. desertorian. 

 It is, however, the Common Buzzard which inhabits the Canaries 

 and Madeira, while the Azores owe their name to its abundance in 

 that group vvhen discovered by the Portuguese. 



Cliffs, especially those covered with ivy or scrub, are favourite 

 resorts in Wales, the Lake country, and Scotland ; but in wooded 

 districts the nest is usually built in a tree, and, when placed in a 

 fork, is frequently a deep, bulky structure of sticks, with a slight 

 cavity on the top, which is lined and surrounded with green 

 leaves ; these being renewed from time to time, until the young 

 have attained considerable size. The eggs, 3-4 in number, are 

 greyish-white, more or less blotched and streaked with reddish- 

 brown and pale lilac : average measurements 2-25 by 175 in. Both 

 birds take part in incubation, which usually begins about the middle 

 of April and lasts three weeks. Not long ago the Buzzard was still 

 common in the New Forest, but the bark-strippers are at work in April, 

 when the nest is easily seen through the scanty foliage ; and by the 

 offer of five shillings for a well-marked egg the collector of ' British- 

 taken ' specimens has done his best to destroy the remnant which 

 have escaped the gamekeeper. There is no evidence that this 

 species is destructive to Partridges or Pheasants, its ordinary food 

 consisting of field-mice, moles and other small mammals, frogs, 

 reptiles, grasshoppers &c. ; it also takes small birds when it can 

 pounce upon them unawares, but it never attempts to fly them 

 down. Unless pressed by hunger, it is decidedly sluggish in its 

 habits, and will remain perched for hours; though when on the wing 

 its spiral gyrations are remarkably graceful. 



The plumage varies greatly, irrespective of sex or locality ; very 

 old birds are dark bluish-black above, and have only a few light 

 markings on the breast ; tail brown, with twelve darker bars ; legs 

 bare of feathers and yellow in colour. Length : male 20 in. ; 

 female 22 in. Very handsome varieties — ranging from cream-colour 

 mottled with brown to pure white — are often found on the Continent. 

 The young bird has the throat brown, streaked with white ; breast 

 spotted with brown on a white ground ; tail greyish-brown, with only 

 ten dark bars. 



