The Common Buzzard is the UK’s most frequently seen bird of prey, a broad-winged raptor often spotted circling high on rising warm air or perched watchfully on fence posts and telegraph poles. Stocky in shape with wide wings and a short neck, it shows huge variation in colour — from very dark chocolate brown to pale cream — but typically has a pale breast band and barred tail. Buzzards are masters of effortless flight. They soar for long periods, barely flapping, using thermals to scan the ground below with exceptional eyesight. Their mewing, cat-like call is a familiar countryside sound, especially in spring. Diet is varied and opportunistic. Small mammals such as voles, mice, and rabbits form the bulk of their food, but they will also take birds, reptiles, insects, and carrion. You’ll often see them feeding on roadkill or dropping suddenly from a perch to seize prey in grass. Nesting high in woodland trees, buzzards reuse and add to large stick nests year after year. Pairs are loyal to territories and can often be seen soaring together in display flights during the breeding season. Once heavily persecuted, the Common Buzzard has made a strong recovery and is now a defining presence in Britain’s rural skies — a symbol of wild countryside and one of the easiest raptors for newcomers to spot and learn.