Buzzard

Lurrigalabs · 20-09-2017 3:37pm #1

Anyone know why these birds have become so much more common over the last few years?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 20-09-2017 3:44pm

Many reasons. The fall back in Myxomatosis, less use of poisons, less persecution.

ThunderCat · 20-09-2017 3:48pm

Lurrigalabs wrote: »

Anyone know why these birds have become so much more common over the last few years?

I'd imagine it's due to the fact that upon fledging, youngsters have plenty of territory to expand into and establish coupled with an abundance of prey in these territories. Early in the 20th century the birds became extinct here but have since naturally recolonized and that re-colonisation has allowed them to spread out into areas that were devoid of them since their extinction here which explains why more of us see them frequently now.

snowstreams · 30-09-2017 1:09pm

Ive just noticed quite a few buzzards near me in the last few weeks. I live just off the new m17/18 motorway in Athenry and Ive seen some circling over it already.
Though I must admit the local population of rabbits seems to have vanished in the last few years so they must be eating other things.

Its great to see birds of prey around, rather than just seeing sparrowhawks and kestrels.

snowstreams · 05-10-2017 12:14pm

Saw two more buzzards this morning between Athenry and Oranmore.
One was flying high enough soaring with crows around him, the other just flew past me in front of the car.

So the population of buzzards must go up in my area during the winter, or I've just started noticing them more.

Birdnuts · 05-10-2017 8:47pm

snowstreams wrote: »

Saw two more buzzards this morning between Athenry and Oranmore.
One was flying high enough soaring with crows around him, the other just flew past me in front of the car.

So the population of buzzards must go up in my area during the winter, or I've just started noticing them more.

Buzzard numbers peak at this time of year due to new broods knocking about. Numbers will naturally decline over the winter until the next breeding season. They get a lot of hassel from crows since young crows in particular are on the menu

fryup · 06-10-2017 10:05am

Birdnuts wrote: »

They get a lot of hassle from crows since young crows in particular are on the menu

the crows in my garden were going ape the other day...i presume a raptor was about ?

Strawberry1975 · 19-11-2018 5:35pm

fryup wrote: »

the crows in my garden were going ape the other day...i presume a raptor was about ?

Everything is gone scarce rabbits
Hares cats
There are a lot of buzzards about

magicbastarder · 19-11-2018 5:45pm

i assume it's young hares buzzards would prey on - an adult hare would be extremely large for them to predate?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 19-11-2018 5:50pm

Strawberry1975 wrote: »

Everything is gone scarce rabbits
Hares cats
There are a lot of buzzards about

Okay, myth busting time. Firstly, Buzzards are not known for taking Cats. Secondly, while they have been known to tackle Hares, it is a recorded fact that they have no impact on Hare numbers, although they have on Rabbit numbers.

Strawberry1975 · 19-11-2018 5:51pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

i assume it's young hares buzzards would prey on - an adult hare would be extremely large for them to predate?

Ya never see the rabbits or hares in daylight anymore
Since the buzzards got plentiful

magicbastarder · 19-11-2018 5:54pm

i did see a tweet recently that in north and east cork, studies of buzzard diet showed 95% was composed of young crows, rabbits and rats.

Strawberry1975 · 19-11-2018 5:58pm

That explains a lot thanks for your input
Are buzzards a protected species

magicbastarder · 19-11-2018 6:08pm

edit: ... but other sources say all raptors are protected.

OpenYourEyes · 19-11-2018 6:11pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

...but other sources say all raptors are protected.

Just to confirm - they are 100% protected under the Wildlife Act 1976 and Amendment 2000 and it's just as illegal to shoot them or destroy nests or anything like that as it is any of our rarest seabirds, songbirds or anything else for that matter!

magicbastarder · 19-11-2018 6:12pm

i wonder why they're not listed in that NPWS document i linked so?

OpenYourEyes · 19-11-2018 6:16pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

i wonder why they're not listed in that NPWS document i linked so?

There are a list of species that we're obliged under the EU Birds Directive to designate protected sites for, but that's not to be confused with other species not being protected - there just aren't any specific sites given any special protection for them.

magicbastarder · 19-11-2018 6:22pm

aha, cheers.

cd07 · 20-11-2018 12:37am

If people are still asking if buzzards are protected please close the thread. Old mentality bird bird of prey ....Must be causing detrimental effect..blah blah blah

Birdnuts · 20-11-2018 1:59am

Strawberry1975 wrote: »

Ya never see the rabbits or hares in daylight anymore
Since the buzzards got plentiful

If you've ever been to Dublin Airport you will see loads of hares and loads of buzzards on the nearby M50

corks finest · 23-11-2018 2:43pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

i did see a tweet recently that in north and east cork, studies of buzzard diet showed 95% was composed of young crows, rabbits and rats.

All over near carrigaline, Robert cove,see them regularly

tabby aspreme · 23-11-2018 3:03pm

I spotted a buzzard eating a pigeon in a field a few days ago , and having seen one pick up a rat in a ditch and try to fly away with it unsuccessfully, I don't think they would kill an adult hare, there is a breeding pair here in a piece of forestry I have , and I regularly see a feral ginger cat out hunting in the middle of the fields looking for rabbits in clumps of nettles and the only thing chasing him are the sheep.

magicbastarder · 23-11-2018 4:43pm

saw one while out on the bike on sunday - what made me do a double take was it was sitting on a telegraph pole, but there were two crows holding station on the wire about 3m away. have usually only seen them getting that close in flight, while mobbing each other, so it was interesting to see what looked like a more wary standoff.

cd07 · 23-11-2018 8:59pm

Have seen pigeons literally sitting on wires 2ft from buzzards they'd be far faster off the mark than a buzzard . Also not a chance a buzzard would kill a full grown hare. All I've ever see them take is young rabbits,pigeons and crows and more often worms and frogs

Mach Two · 27-11-2018 10:52pm

Any idea what percentage of buzzards diet is crows.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 27-11-2018 10:59pm

Mach Two wrote: »

Any idea what percentage of buzzards diet is crows.

It varies immensely depending on the area. Some take mostly rabbits, others take young crows, but it depends on what's available.

Birdnuts · 28-11-2018 1:25am

Mach Two wrote: »

Any idea what percentage of buzzards diet is crows.

Probably peaks in early summer since them and Kites take alot of branchers(young Rooks) then

OpenYourEyes · 28-11-2018 9:07pm

Mach Two wrote: »

Any idea what percentage of buzzards diet is crows.

Around 20% going by an Irish paper published a few years ago. Will vary slightly depending on the time of year and location i.e. somewhere with very few rabbits or pigeons might have a higher percentage of crows.

Paper here (scrolls down to tables for percentages etc):
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00063657.2013.772085

magicbastarder · 01-12-2018 2:50pm

the closest we've seen a buzzard to dublin city centre was this morning (well my wife saw it); one being mobbed by two crows over the holy faith convent in glasnevin, spotted when we were in the botanic gardens.

magicbastarder · 31-01-2019 6:44pm

decathlon are due to start construction of a big outlet in ballymun, beside ikea; unfortunately this is one of the places you'd see buzzards within the M50.

gzoladz · 31-01-2019 7:09pm

I got this very tame one in the Botanic Gardens a few months ago

Buzzard

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