Common buzzard or Hawk? (1 Viewer)

[rickardfa]

I really though this looked like the picture they have listed as Common Buzzard on wikimedia ( File:Common Buzzard (Steppe Buzzard), Buteo buteo vulpinus, on a fence along the R42, Gauteng, South Africa (32731314492).jpg - Wikimedia Commons )

But someone posted that I was wrong and thats a Hawk, so now Im not sure and a bit confused

What do the pro's say?
Its taken today and its taken in Sweden.

 

[njlarsen]

To me this is a clear Buteo buteo.

One thing that may or may not be relevant is that Buteo species in the US are generally called hawks, that is not limited to Accipiter species there.
Niels

 

[Butty]

Your photo is a common buzzard. The name 'hawk' doesn't really mean anything specific in British English and is best just avoided. Certainly, if you are talking to Americans using this terminology (either 'buzzard' or 'hawk'), you will be completely at cross-purposes, and confusion is guaranteed 👎🏼

 

[rickardfa]

Thank you for sorting this out. njlarsen was correct, it was a person from USA and they call all those Hawks

 

[davercox]

Adding to the confusion, Americans call vultures 'buzzards'.

 

[Valéry Schollaert]

Adding to the confusion, Americans call vultures 'buzzards'.

They don't longer do, do they ?

 

[Georgebirds]

Adding to the confusion, Americans call vultures 'buzzards'.

Ohhh, now that line in The Lion King makes sense! Pumbaa was aiming at vultures but calling them buzzards, and I never understood why, hah

 

[lockbreeze926]

I'd be surprised if US birders called vultures "buzzards" but some of the general public do.

 

[dragnil]

In my experience, ok it was in Alaska, the non-naturalist knows only two species: people and critters...

But I did meet a lot of excellent birders.

 

[nartreb]

They don't longer do, do they ?

There's a lot of regional variation, as well as generational changes, but the usage is still pretty widespread. Old Westerns (in print and radio) had "buzzards circling overhead" -- and The Lion King borrowed heavily from Westerns.