During seven winter seasons (1993/1994–1999/2000) 107 roadside counts (28 km each) in agricultural area of south-western Poland were conducted. From among 1526 Buzzards, 1293 were recorded in winter months (November—February) and 233 in March. Birds were non-randomly distributed on nine vegetation types met along the transect route. Permanent papilionaceous crops, along with cereal stubbles, margin habitats, meadows and maize stubbles were preferentially used, whereas bare tillage and winter cereals were avoided. In general, Buzzards preferred habitats of the least amount in the studied area and avoided those which dominated. These data support the idea of high importance of small landscape structures for the biodiversity protection in intensively used farmland. During winter months, most Buzzards (59.5%) were perched when first sighted, most often on trees and in the middle part of their height. The percent of birds sitting on the ground amounted to 34.7%. The smallest amount of individuals (5.8% ) was observed flying (flap-sailing, hovering and soaring), however this activity significantly increased in March (up to 17.1%). The significance of various hunting methods for wintering Buzzards is discussed. Even though it is a typical perch hunting raptor, the method of hunting from the ground seems to be particularly suitable for the conditions of winter farmland: common scarcity of perches, poor and low vegetation, local and temporary prey concentrations.
How to translate text using browser tools
1 December 2005
Habitat use and Hunting Behaviour of Common Buzzards Buteo buteo Wintering in South-Western Poland
Andrzej Wuczyński
K. Adamczewska-Andrzejewska
,
R. Mackin-Rogalska
,
L. Nabagło
1982. [The role of burrows systems in inducing cyclic fluctuations of the numbers of a common vole populations, Microtus arvalis (Pall. 1779)]. Wiad. Ekol. 28: 181–198. Google Scholar
R. G. Bijlsma
1996. [Ecological atlas of the raptors in the Netherlands]. Schuyt & Co. Google Scholar
R. G. Bijlsma
1997.
Buteo buteo Buzzard. In:
W. J. M. Hagemeijer,
M. J. Blair (eds).
The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds: Their distribution and abundance. T. & A. D. Poyser, London, pp. 160–161. Google Scholar
K. L. Bildstein
1987. Behavioral ecology of Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), Rough-legged Hawks (Buteo lagopus), Northern Harriers (Circus cyaneus), and American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) in South Central Ohio. Ohio Biol. Surv. Biol. Notes No. 18. Google Scholar
G. Boano
,
R. Toffoli
2002. A line transect survey of wintering raptors in the western Po Plain of northern Italy. J. Raptor Res. 36: 128–135. Google Scholar
P. F. Donald
,
G. Pisano
,
M. D. Rayment
,
D. J. Pain
2002. The Common Agricultural Policy, EU enlargement and the conservation of Europe's farmland birds. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 89: 167–182. Google Scholar
A. Dyrcz
W. Grabiński
,
T. Stawarczyk
,
J. Witkowski
1991. [The birds of Silesia]. Uniwersytet Wrocławski. Google Scholar
H. Eichstädt
,
W. Eichstädt
1991. Langzeituntersuchungen zur Winterdichte von Greifvögeln auf Niedermoor im Nordosten Deutschlands. In:
M. Stubbe
(ed.).
Populationsökologie Greifvogel- u. Eulenarten 2 (1991). Wiss. Beitr. Univ. Halle 1991/4 (P 45), pp. 29–34. Google Scholar
A. Gamauf
1987. Dreijährige Untersuchungen an einer Greifvogel-Winterpopulation im südlichen Burgenland. Egretta 30: 24–37. Google Scholar
U. Hohmann
1984. Status specific habitat use in the Common Buzzard Buteo buteo.
In:
B.-U Meyburg
,
R. D. Chancellor
Raptor Conservation Today, WWGBP Pica Press, pp. 359–366. Google Scholar
J. Jacobs
1994. Quantitative measurements of food selection. Oecologia 14: 413–417. Google Scholar
H. E. Jørgensen
1986. [Habitat selection of wintering raptors in South Zealand]. Dansk Orn. Foren. Tidsskr. 80: 85–96. Google Scholar
Z. Kasprzykowski
,
M. Rzępała
2002. [Numbers and habitat preferences of raptors Falconiformes wintering in centraleastern Poland]. Not. Ornitol. 43: 73–82. Google Scholar
I. Kitowski
2000. [Numbers and behaviour of the Common Buzzard Buteo buteo in the post-breeding season and early spring in the agricultural landscape of the central Lublin region]. Not. Ornitol. 41: 265–272. Google Scholar
J. Lontkowski
1994. [Wintering of birds of prey in the open areas of Silesia]. Ptaki Śląska 10: 70–77. Google Scholar
M. Melde
1995. Der Mäusebussard Buteo buteo.
Die Neue Brehm-Bücherei 185. Westarp-Wiss., Magdeburg. Google Scholar
K. Müller
,
S. Schuster
,
F. Spittler
1979. Zehn Jahre GreifvogelWinterzählungen auf Probeflächen im Bodenseegebiet. J. Ornitol. 120: 174–187. Google Scholar
B. Mülner
2000. Winterliche Bestandsdichten, Habitatpräferenzen und Ansitzwartenwahl von Mäusebussard (Buteo buteo) und Turmfalke (Falco tinnunculus) im oberen Murtal (Steiermark). Egretta 43: 20–36. Google Scholar
U. M. Norberg
1996. Energetics of flight. In:
C. Carey (ed.).
Avian energetics and nutritional ecology. Chapman & Hall. Google Scholar
J. Pinowski
,
L. Ryszkowski
1962. The Buzzard's versatility as a predator. British Birds 55: 470–475. Google Scholar
J. Sachteleben
1993. Jagdstrategie und Habitatnutzung bei Mäusebussard Buteo buteo und Turmfalke Falco tinnunculus — Konkurrenzvermeidung zweier Greifvogelarten. Orn. Anz. 32: 37–43. Google Scholar
L. Schifferli
2001. Birds breeding in a changing farmland. Acta Ornithol. 36: 35–51. Google Scholar
L. Schröpfer
1997. [Winter census of birds of prey in the area located to west and south of Plzen city, determined by the line method]. Buteo 9: 17–30. Google Scholar
D. Stankiewicz
2004. [Land use in Polish farms]. Biuro Studiów i Ekspertyz, Informacja Nr 1041. Google Scholar
M. Sylvén
1978. Interspecific relations between sympatrically wintering Common Buzzards Buteo buteo and Roughlegged Buzzards Buteo lagopus.
Ornis Scand. 9: 197–206. Google Scholar
P. Voříšek
1991. [Breeding biology and wintering of the Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo L.)]. MSC thesis, UK Praha. Google Scholar
D. Weir
,
N. Piccozzi
1975. Aspects of social behaviour in the Buzzard. British Birds 68: 125–141. Google Scholar
A. Wuczyński
2001a. Counting raptors from a moving vehicle — description and test of the method. Buteo 12: 29–36. Google Scholar
A. Wuczyński
2001b. [Hunting behaviour of the Common Buzzard Buteo buteo in the winter period — description and significance]. PhD thesis, Institute of Nature Conservation PAS, Kraków-Wrocłlaw. Google Scholar
A. Wuczyński
2003. Abundance of Common Buzzard 0Buteo buteo) in the Central European wintering ground in relation to the weather conditions and food supply. Buteo 13: 11–20. Google Scholar

Acta Ornithologica
Vol. 40 • No. 2
December 2005
Vol. 40 • No. 2
December 2005
birds
Buteo buteo
Buzzard
Farmland
Habitat preferences
hunting behaviour
perch-site use