Bird Guide

Broad-winged Hawk vs Common Buzzard

Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus)

Broad-winged Hawk

Buteo platypterus

Large454 gForest

The broad-winged hawk is a relatively small Buteo, with a body size from 32 to 44 cm (13 to 17 in) in length and weighing 265 to 560 g (9.3 to 19.8 oz). The tail is relatively short, measuring 14.5–19.0 cm (5.7–7.5 in) in length. The tarsus measures from 5.6 to 6.6 cm (2.2 to 2.6 in). As in most raptors, females are slightly larger than males. Broad-winged hawks have relatively short and broad wings, pointed at the end, which have a tapered appearance unique to the species. The wingspan can range from 74 to 100 cm (29 to 39 in), with the extended wing bone (standard measurement) measuring 22. Voice: These hawks use vocalizations for communication with their mates and offspring, and in territorial displays towards intruders such as red-tailed hawks or other threatening animals. Their call sounds like a very high-pitched kee-ee, almost like a whistle. Fledglings learn to emit the call by the time they are one month old.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Broad-winged Hawk
Recorded by Rosa Elena Albornoz @rosaelena_naturaleza · Call · Bosque Amnesia del Poder (near Caracas), Sucre, Miranda, Venezuela · CC0
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC0
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)

Common Buzzard

Buteo buteo

Large759 gGrassland

The common buzzard is a medium-sized raptor that is highly variable in plumage. Most buzzards are distinctly round headed with a somewhat slender bill, relatively long wings that either reach or fall slightly short of the tail tip when perched, a fairly short tail, and somewhat short and mainly bare tarsi. They can appear fairly compact in overall appearance but may also appear large relative to other more common raptorial birds such as kestrels and sparrowhawks.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Common Buzzard
Recorded by Grégoire Chauvot · Arrondissement de Villefranche-sur-Saône (near Cours), Rhône, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France · CC0
Photo: Wagner Machado Carlos Lemes from Goiânia, Brazil · CC BY 2.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Broad-winged Hawk and Common Buzzard.