How do buzzards find food

The use of certain pesticides in the midth century also affected the species by reducing its reproductive capacity. Thankfully, legal protection and a drop in persecution and pesticide use has allowed the population to recover. Two other species called buzzard occur in the UK, but are much rarer. The rough-legged buzzard Buteo lagopus looks much like the common buzzard and has a similar diet.

A small number of these birds travel from Scandinavia to spend the winter in the UK, usually along the eastern coast. The honey buzzard Pernis apivorus is another migrant visitor.

Just 40 of these birds were thought to be present in the UK in the summer of However, the population is increasing, with the warming climate possibly attracting more of these birds from their African wintering grounds. Despite its name, the honey buzzard is not closely related to our other buzzard species.

Wasps, bees and hornets are the favoured prey of the honey buzzard. It uses its talons to dig the insects and their larvae out of their nests — a habitat that earned the species its name. So how do vultures find fresh road kill? It's not with eagle eyes. Surprisingly, though most birds lack any sense of smell , vultures can sniff out a dead critter from more than a mile away.

If you live in an area where buzzards are present, you can attract the peaceful birds to your yard to view them up close by tossing raw meat or roadkill in an area where neighbors won't be disturbed by the scent of decaying meat. Vultures prefer fresh carrion to that which is rotten and putrid, and the meat of herbivores over predators. Small dogs and children have nothing to fear, as body movement and lower levels of mercaptan let vultures know they are alive.

Indulging her passion for vacation vagary through the written word on a full-time basis since , travel funster Jodi Thornton-O'Connell guides readers to the unexpected, quirky, and awe-inspiring. By using the site, you agree to the uses of cookies and other technology as outlined in our Policy, and to our Terms of Use. Finding Prey Many birds have little or no sense of smell, as evidenced by primitive olfactory receptors in their brains.

Buzzards have developed a bad reputation not only for their appearance, but for their eating habits that many people find disgusting. If you notice a flock of buzzards gathered in one spot, particularly in rural areas and in or near roadways, this often signals that a dead animal is in the vicinity. Buzzards eat roadkill--the carcasses of animals that were hit by cars. Buzzards are not picky eaters and will eat just about any dead animal--possums, squirrels, rabbits, deer, domestic animals and even skunks although they will leave the scent pouch of a skunk intact.

When buzzards have a choice between fresh roadkill or a decayed animal carcass, however, they will always choose the fresh kill. Buzzards travel and sleep in large groups.

There are several types of vultures: the turkey vulture, black vulture and California condor.