THE EUROPEAN BUZZARD. ' 206 



70. Buteo buteo (Linnaeus). 



EUROPEAN BUZZARD. 



Faho buteo Linn^us, Systema ISTaturse, ed. 10, i, 1758, 90. 

 Buteo buteo Lichtenstein, Nomeiiclator Mtiseo Berolinensis, 1854, 3. 

 (B — , C — R 435, C -, U 336.) 



Geographical range : N"ortliern portions of eastern hemisphere ; accidental in 

 the United States, Michigan (?) 



The common European Buzzard is admitted to a place in the Noi"th 

 American avifauna on a somewhat questionable record. It certainly does 

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

 the continent of Europe, a resident in the southern jjortion of its range, and 

 only a summer visitor in the northern parts. 



Ml-. 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 woods, 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 beech 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. The 

 final lining is fresh green leaves, generally beech; but 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 Bnmswick, five 

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

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



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

 which Ave did not attempt to climb, were higher. In Pomerania I saw sev- 

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

 Dr. Holland, who has paid gi-eat 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 grasshopj)ers 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. 



