Buzzard (Buteo buteo)Where and when to see it in the UK
Resident · reporting peaks March to April · Kites, Old World Vultures, Eagles, and Hawks · BOU category AE*F
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Buzzard has been recorded in 2,840 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (96%) in records to 2026. Resident in the UK. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in March to April.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 43% or more of visits
- High
- 29% to 43%
- Moderate
- 16% to 29%
- Low
- under 16%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 74% | 22% | Very high |
| February | 83% | 25% | Very high |
| March | 99% | 29% | Very high |
| April | 100% | 30% | Very high |
| May | 84% | 25% | Very high |
| June | 81% | 24% | Very high |
| July | 75% | 22% | Very high |
| August | 84% | 25% | Very high |
| September | 82% | 24% | Very high |
| October | 78% | 23% | Very high |
| November | 70% | 21% | Very high |
| December | 69% | 21% | Very high |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in March
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| C73 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| C91 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| C92 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D03 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D04 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D10 | Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D23 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D40 | Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H33 | Fermanagh and Omagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H86 | Mid Ulster, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |