buzzard

Species of medium-sized hawk with broad wings, often seen soaring. Buzzards are in the falcon family, Falconidae, order Falconiformes. The common buzzard Buteo buteo of Europe and Asia is about 55 cm/1.8 ft long with a wingspan of over 1.2 m/4 ft. It preys on a variety of small animals up to the size of a rabbit.

The rough-legged buzzard B. lagopus lives in the northern tundra and eats lemmings. The honey buzzard Pernis apivora feeds largely, as its name suggests, on honey and insect larvae. It spends the summer in Europe and western Asia and winters in Africa. The red-shouldered hawk B. lineatus and red-tailed hawk B. jamaicensis occur in North America.