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In Britain, the word buzzard refers chiefly to several birds of prey of the hawk genus Buteo. In North America, a buzzard is any of various New World vultures, especially the turkey vulture. In Australia, a large hawk of the genus Hamirostra is called a black-breasted buzzard. Buteos, also called buzzard hawks, can usually be distinguished when soaring by their broad wings and expansive rounded tail. The plumage of most species is dark brown above and white or mottled brown below; the tail and underside of the wings are usually barred. Buteos customarily prey on insects, small mammals, and occasionally birds. They nest in trees or on cliffs. Species range over much of the New World, Eurasia, and Africa. The red-tailed hawk, the most common North American buteo, is about 2 ft (60 cm) long.
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Examples of buzzard in a Sentence
Laurie Werner, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024
The buzzards have swirled around Michigan in the season’s early weeks, picking away at the carcass left behind by former coach Jim Harbaugh’s move to the NFL.
—Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 18 Sep. 2024
Authorities are also looking for signs that the suspect may have died in the forest, like buzzards circling overhead.
—Alex Sundby, CBS News, 11 Sep. 2024
Floating around with the buzzards in his Buckeye [plane].
—Liz McNeil, Peoplemag, 10 July 2024
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“Buzzard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buzzard. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.
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buzzard
noun
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