The difference between buzzards? (1 Viewer)

[Staysee]

What is the best/easiest way of telling the difference between like your common, rough legged and honey?

Cos im so used to seeing common that i guess i could easily just write any buzzard of as common if i dont really look at colour or flight silouette, so could anyone give me tips on difference....i did read once that the honey has a more protruding head then the other 2, but then im sure i've photographed a common with a protuding head.

Thanks for any info

 

[Tideliner]

Unless you are quite close to honey or common buzzards they are difficult to tell apart. Try to pick up a number of ID features to confirm your birds.
A few pointers.
1. Both species come in all colours so that is of little use.
2. Honey buzzards fly on flat or slightly down turned wings 99% of the time though rarely I have seen a honey come out of woodland on hot still days with raised wings for the first couple of turning circles , before wings flatten out. Common buzzards in ideal weather fly with wings in a shallow V , but frequently have flat wings on windy days. Juvenile common buzzards for their first couple of months usually fly on flat wings, but the primary tips normally are upturned.
3. The depth of the base of wing is longer than the length of the tail in honey buzzards , but shorter that the length of the tail in common buzzards. Beware honeys will fan their tail when soaring , which can make the tale look shorter.
4. Honeys flap with very elastic deep wing beats, compared with commons. But you need to get your eye in for this feature.
5. This may sound daft , but honeys look where they are going when flying , but commons often hang their heads down as they search for prey. The only time I have seen honeys looking downwards is when there is another honey sitting in a tree below them.
6. Small head , honey buzzard heads are smaller ( and the bill ) , but I find that difficult unless the birds are close.
7. Barring on under wings and tail is very bold with honeys , but much fainter with commons. But again you have to have good views to see this well.
8. Pale grey head and grey upper parts can be a good indicator for a honey. Commons are usually browner.
9. The “ wing clapping “ display is diagnostic of honeys . If the bird is doing a roll a coaster display its probably a common buzzard.
10. Honeys use their tails in a kite like manner.


Apart for number 9 its best to tick off as many of the other ID features to be reasonable sure. I have been watching honey buzzards most days a week between May and September and still make the odd mistake ( like a juv common buzzard at Swanton Novers this summer that insisted on always flying on down curved wings this summer ) so take heart they are difficult birds to ID with confidence.

I will leave the rough legged buzzard ID to others with more experience

 

[den mather]

the difference between buzzards

it is very much a matter of getting your eye in. tideliner has given many good points but 3 is maybe a typo brcause honeys have longer tails not commons. this is all part of honeys being related to kites as much as buzzards and when you see a lot - maybe on holiday - you realise they fly in some ways more like kites than buzzards. To me comm buzzards usually seem heavier and more threatening in the air. (One theory says young honeys mimic comm buzz colouration to avoid Goshawk predation.) Honeys after all are usually en route to the distant wood for the next wasps nest not to the warren to jump on a rabbit. I usually pick up rough legs by their white tails which are a major give away. then you can look for the other features like black belly and carpal patches longer wings etc. best wishes for your future hunting. den

 

[Tideliner]

OPPS yes it is a typing error , thanks for pointing that out Den. Honey buzzard tails are longer than the depth of the wing.