How to Identify the Types of Buzzards

Buzzards, referred to in the U.S. as vultures and as hawks elsewhere, live in North America, South America, Asia and Europe. Smaller than an eagle, this scavenging bird of prey's plumage ranges in color from black to white but is commonly brown. A typically lone predator, the bird is frequently distinguished by its slow, circling flying pattern. Several subspecies of the buzzard exist, and you can identify different types by paying close attention to their markings, wingspan and calls.

Things You'll Need

  • Binoculars
  • Pocket guide
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Purchase a local field guide for quick identification when observing buzzards. Field guides include the "National Audubon Society's Pocket Guide to North American Birds of Prey." Residents of Europe and Asia can purchase "Raptors of Europe and the Middle East: A Handbook to Field Identification."

    • 2

      Notice the bird's head. If it is bald, you are looking at a vulture, common across North and South America. Turkey vultures have red-purple heads, while black vultures have black heads.

    • 3

      Identify the color of the bird's feathers. Most buzzards have plumage in shades of brown, with distinguishing colors in specific areas of their bodies. A red-shouldered hawk, for instance, has patches of red-brown on its "shoulder" areas, above its wings. Common buzzards have white "bars" near their tail feathers, and lighter feathers across their undersides.

    • 4

      Examine the bird's wingspan. An adult common buzzard of Europe and Asia has a wingspan of approximately five feet, while the turkey vulture of the Americas has a wingspan of approximately six feet.

    • 5

      Listen to the bird's call. The common buzzard of Europe and Asia produces a call resembling a cat's meow. Vultures found in the Americas do not have syrinxes, the vocal organ found in birds, and therefore can produce only grunts and hisses.