European Buzzards
There are currently three species of Buzzards breeding in Europe, all of which belong to the genus Buteo. Compared to other birds of prey in Europe, buzzards are generally medium-sized raptors, although the Long-legged Buzzard reaches the size of a small eagle.
Despite their size, buzzards generally take smaller prey than eagles, with voles and other small rodents making up the main portion of their prey. This also explains why their talons are smaller than those of eagles.
We’ve also included the European Honey Buzzard in this category, although it isn’t actually a real buzzard. The Honey Buzzards belong in a separate branch of the Accipitridae, but they have a strong resemblance to real buzzards, probably due to convergent evolution.
