20th March: Buzzard Day

Today is Buzzard Day in Ohio, so here are 10 facts you may not know about Buzzards.

Buzzard on a telegraph pole in Wraxall, Somerset,
by Matt Buck

1. These birds have variable plumage, from brown to almost white.
2. Buzzards can grow over 50cm long with a wingspan of up to 137cm.
3. The buzzard's cry sounds like a cat miaowing.
4. Their favourite food is rabbits and other small mammals, but they sometimes eat worms, frogs and large insects, and don't turn their noses up at carrion if they happen to find it in their territory.
5. Buzzards breed in every European country except Iceland.
6. To attract a mate, the male buzzard performs an aerial "roller coaster" display, rising high in the sky and plummeting downwards, several times.
7. Once they find a mate, it is for life.
8. A pair of buzzards may have as many as 21 nest sites, using a different one every year.
9. Buzzards' eggs are white or bluish-white with blotches of red-brown and pale lilac. Incubation lasts for 33-35 days. There are usually 2 or 3 in a clutch, but clutches of up to 6 have been recorded.
10. When they have built their nests, buzzards decorate them with green leaves and foliage, which they regularly refresh.