Buteo

These are big birds with wide wings.

They like to live near trees. They also like open fields. These places help them hunt.

They hunt for small animals. They like to eat mice and squirrels. Some even eat bugs like crickets.

They fly high in the sky. They use warm air to soar. This helps them look for food.

They build nests out of sticks. The birds stay in pairs. It is fun to watch them fly.

Buteos are medium to large birds of prey. They have sturdy bodies and broad wings.

In the Old World, people call them buzzards. In the New World, they are called hawks. Some birds, like the red-tailed hawk, have shorter wings. They flap their wings deeply to fly. Other birds, like Swainson's hawks, have long wings. They fly in a bouncy way. Many Buteos soar on warm air called thermals. This helps them stay high in the sky.

These birds live in many places. They like to be near trees and open fields. Trees are good for nests. Open fields are good for hunting. Most Buteos eat small mammals like rodents. They also eat squirrels, chipmunks, and mice. Some Buteos eat birds or even insects. The Swainson's hawk loves to eat crickets.

Buteos build nests from sticks. A female usually lays two to four eggs. She sits on the eggs to keep them warm. The male brings food to her. When the babies hatch, the older ones may be very bossy. They might even push the younger ones away. Soon, the young birds fly away to find their own homes.

Buteos are a group of medium to large birds of prey. They have strong bodies and very broad wings. In the Old World, people call these birds buzzards. In the New World, they are known as hawks. Because these names can be confusing, scientists sometimes just use the name Buteo. These birds are famous for their sturdy builds. They are very important parts of the wild world.

Most Buteos spend a lot of time soaring high in the sky. They use warm rising air called thermals to stay up without much work. Their flight style changes depending on their wing shape. Long-winged birds like Swainson's hawks have a bouncy, light flight. Shorter-winged birds like red-tailed hawks fly with deep, heavy flaps. Some smaller species fly by mixing soaring with flapping. This helps them move through open areas effectively.

Humans have studied these birds for a long time. A French naturalist named Bernard Germain de Lacépède created the name Buteo in 1799. He named the group after the common buzzard. This bird was first named by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Scientists have also found fossils of Buteos from a long time ago. Some of these fossils were found in North America. They come from places like South Dakota and Washington.

Buteos live in many different habitats around the globe. They like to be near trees for nesting and open fields for hunting. Most Buteos hunt small mammals like rodents. They eat squirrels, chipmunks, voles, and gerbils. Some very large species, like the ferruginous hawk, can even hunt rabbits. The heaviest females can weigh over 3,000 grams. Other birds, like the Swainson's hawk, eat many crickets and dragonflies. Some Buteos even eat snakes, lizards, or fish.

These birds have interesting ways of raising their young. They build nests out of sticks in large trees. A female usually lays between two and four eggs. She stays on the eggs to keep them warm. The male bird often brings food to her. When the babies hatch, the older siblings are often much stronger. They may be bossy or even push the younger ones away. Eventually, the young birds fly away to find their own homes.

Buteo is a genus of medium to large raptors found across much of the world. These birds of prey are known for their robust bodies and very broad wings. In the Old World, people often call them "buzzards." In the New World, they are more commonly called "hawks." Because these names can be confusing for scientists, they often use the term Buteo to be more precise. These birds play a vital role in their ecosystems as predators.

One of the most striking things about Buteos is how they fly. Many species spend much of their time soaring on thermals. A thermal is a column of rising warm air. By using these currents, Buteos can stay aloft over open areas with very little effort. Their flight style depends on their specific body shape. Long-winged species, such as Swainson's hawks, have a buoyant and floppy flight. In contrast, red-tailed hawks have shorter wings. They soar more slowly and use deeper, more labored flaps to move through the air.

Buteos vary greatly in size and weight. The roadside hawk is one of the lightest, with an average wingspan of about 76 centimeters. On the other end of the scale is the upland buzzard. It is the largest species, averaging a length of 61 centimeters and a wingspan of 132 centimeters. The ferruginous hawk is also a giant. While it is rivaled by the upland buzzard in length, it is much heavier. In these large species, adult males often weigh over 1,000 grams. Mature females can even exceed a mass of 1,500 grams.

These raptors are opportunistic hunters, meaning they eat many different things. Their primary diet consists of small mammals, especially rodents. They hunt animals like squirrels, chipmunks, voles, and gerbils. Because many rodents are active at night, Buteos often hunt during the first or last few hours of light. Some very large species can even take down rabbits or hares weighing 2,000 grams. Other Buteos have more specialized diets. The Swainson's hawk can rely almost entirely on crickets and dragonflies while wintering in South America.

Buteos are also known for their unique breeding behaviors. They build nests using sticks and other materials. These nests are usually placed in large trees that are hard for climbing predators to reach. Most Buteos form stable pairs that may stay together for several years. A female typically lays between two and four eggs. She stays on the nest to incubate the eggs, while the male brings her food. Once the chicks hatch, life can be competitive. Older siblings are often stronger and may act aggressively toward younger ones.

Humans have studied the history of these birds for centuries. The name Buteo was established in 1799 by the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède. He named the genus after the common buzzard, which had been named by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. We also know about ancient Buteos through the fossil record. Many fossils have been found in North America, specifically in places like South Dakota and Washington. These fossils help scientists understand how the genus has changed over millions of years.

Today, Buteo populations face different challenges depending on where they live. Some species, like the red-tailed hawk, are very common and may have populations exceeding one million individuals. Others are in much more danger. The Socotra buzzard and Galapagos hawks are considered vulnerable to extinction. The Ridgway's hawk is even more threatened and is listed as Critically Endangered. One major problem is habitat destruction. Another is poisoning. For example, Swainson's hawks have declined because they eat insects that have been treated with insecticides in South America.