Thank you John F-S for this shot of a buzzard flying over Hall Gates yesterday.
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They are lovely birds & a super photo, however, it is a worry. They will be feeding young at the moment and are capable of swooping down and taking a cat, small dog, rabbit etc.(Anything up to around 4.5 to 5kg in weight) In fact 9 cats have gone missing from Bakewell area recently and buzzards have been circling in the area, so BEWARE CAT & KITTEN OWNERS. Can bloggers keep sightings in the area updated on this post please?
Ours are outdoor cats so I looked into this. I guess there will always be exceptions but RSPB and other sources are clear they go for smaller prey (up to 500g) or dead animals, and rodents or birds rather than predator species like a cat.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/b/buzzard/feeding.aspx
In general, that’s true Nina. However, they have been known to take small domestic cats and dogs and are “in the frame” for the missing cats in Bakewell. A lot of Farming folks would also tell you that a smallish cat is not completely safe when they are around. The RSPB are there to protect birds! Also, here’s a link (unfortunate cat owners who’s pets have been attacked by Buzzards) http://geraniumcat.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/buzzard-attack.html
I’ve spent a while on google and I can’t find any real evidence of this. Seems if it happens it’s very very rare. The few stories I can find have the feel of “Freddy Starr ate my hamster” about them.
Nor I Steve, and considering the vast attrition rate inflicted by domestic cats on our natural bird population, the impact of the buzzard must be utterly minuscule by comparison. Personally, I’m glad to see (and hear) buzzards in the skies again. I like cats, and I keep a few hens too, which have never been remotely threatened by our local buzzards. So let’s keep a sense of perspective and give our native wildlife some room to live and breed in the teeth of increasing pressure from our purely human activities.
I was intrigued about the above comments and also did some googling but found little evidence. The RSPB website states as the Buzzard’s feeding habits:
“Buzzards principally eat small rodents, but also take birds, reptiles, amphibians, larger insects and earthworms. Prey up to 500g is taken by active predation; anything heavier is usually carrion or seriously enfeebled individuals. Gamebirds are sometimes taken, though these make up only a tiny proportion of the diet. Buzzards are more likely to feed on carrion…. etc.etc.”
Lesley’s comment about the weight of (life) prey of 4.5 – 5 kg contradicts the information on the RSPB website, namely ‘prey up to 500 g’, which is almost 10 times lighter in weight and certainly nowhere near the average weight of an adult cat of 3.5-4.5 kg.
I guess that some of the carrrion may be up to several kilogrammes. Could there be some confusion?
Surely the concerns expressed are not backed up by the facts and are unnecessarily alarmist? That doesn’t make the disappearance of cats any less worrying, but I guess that it is extremely unlikely that there is any link with the buzzards.
Buzzards will feed on anything that looks like an opportunity to feast, providing it doesn’t put themselves at risk and its in their capability to kill, other than carrion.
Leveretts bigger than the full grown rabbit, and I have even seen them take out a fully grown cock pheasant, and they are becoming more aware of the farmer mowing the crop, its a great opportunity to feast, dead or alive running away from the harvester, they eagerly await.
A great bird and is protected, but as a few farmers have explained, its very frustrating when they tend their flocks and they find a buzzard on their over thrown sheep with its eyes pecked out, but again they are a bird of prey.
They are probably adopting to the present day available meal as their numbers grow, this is most likely one of the many reasons they became protected in the first place, as they were viewed as a threat to peoples interests.
Numbers of buzzards are on the increase, and i know of a few pairs locally nested to date, no doubt there will be a debate on the impact they have in time to come.
DS
Well put David. I agree
With regards to some of the other comments, I did not say that I don’t like to see birds of prey Anthony or that I am anti birds of prey or advocate being proactive in discouraging them from having ‘room to live and breed’!!
I was merely alerting cat/small pet owners to the dangers! The RSPB are hardly going to admit to the fact that birds of prey are capable of taking small domestic pets & on occasions, will do so!!. The RSPB are there to protect birds, not small domestic pets & will hardly admit to anything that could antagonise the public against them or put them in danger. I wonder how many small cats/pets have gone missing and the owner assumes they have just run off or been stolen?? It is very rare to actually see a B of P actually attacking and/or eating or taking a domestic pet.
Here’s some links with more info. Note, a red tailed hawk is a similar size to a buzzard. (Ref. Second link, show cats on line.)
1. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/buzzard-sinks-talons-jogger-spate-5724312
2. http://www.showcatsonline.com/x/birds-of-prey-vs-your-cat.shtml
3. http://geraniumcat.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/buzzard-attack.html
P.S. Apart from the above post, I am not going to bother commenting on this thread again!
http://farmingforum.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?10343-Buzzards-attacking-lambs
Gamekeepers tend to be more of a threat to cats …. AND Buzzards! Maybe the Bakewell cat owners are being thrown off the scent?!
Luckily my two cats are well over 5 kg in size! And I love watching and hearing the buzzards too.
Kirsten I.