Differences between Bald-Eagle and Buzzard

Bald-Eagle and Buzzard are two classes of birds that belong to the Accipitridae family .

Bald Eagle is a type of Sea Eagle with two sub-species. It is a bird of prey with brown plumage and white tail. The bird is not actually bald, it has white colored feather on its head. It is characterized by yellow eyes, beak, and feet. The beak is hooked and is used for capturing the prey and preening. The bird has four toes and talons on each foot. One of the toes faces backwards and helps in holding the prey with extreme grip. According to scientists, the grip of a Bald Eagle is 10 times stronger than that of an average human’s hand. The bird also has exceptional hearing and vision. Bald Eagle is famous as the national bird of the USA.

Buzzards are birds of prey in the subfamily Buteoninae. They are characterized by large wings, rounded tails, short neck, and a sharp hooked beak. They have huge feet with sharp talons. The birds also have excellent vision that helps them to spot small prey from a distance. The plumage is deeper brown on the top and pale brown or white below.

Where are Bald-Eagle and Buzzard found?

Bald Eagles live around water sources surrounded by forests. They can be found near rivers, reservoirs, lakes, and coasts. They are native to North America. They exist in Mexico, the USA, Alaska, and Canada.

Buzzards live in diverse regions. They can be found in forests, plains, marshes, agricultural land, and cities. Buzzards can be found across the world except Antarctica. Some species are endemic to certain regions. For example, the Black-breasted Buzzard exists only in Australia. Furthermore, in the USA, Vultures are referred to as Buzzards.

What do Bald-Eagle and Buzzard eat?

Bald Eagles chiefly eat fish. They also hunt snakes, turtles, small ducks, gulls, geese, lambs, foxes, dogs, rodents, rabbits, and crabs. These birds are also known to eat dead animals and abduct the prey from other animals.

Buzzards hunt for small insects, worms, rabbits, lizards, snakes, mice, and other birds. They sometimes also eat dead animals.

Here are a few pointers about the eating patterns between Bald-Eagle and Buzzard

• Both Bald-Eagle and Buzzard eat Fish.
• Both Bald-Eagle and Buzzard eat Frogs.
• Both Bald-Eagle and Buzzard eat Lizards.
• Both Bald-Eagle and Buzzard eat Snakes.
• Both Bald-Eagle and Buzzard eat Turtles.
• Both Bald-Eagle and Buzzard eat Squirrels.
• Gophers are commonly eaten by Bald-Eagle, but not by all Buzzard.
• Baby Ducks are consumed by both Bald-Eagleand Buzzard.
• Mice are eaten by both Bald-Eagle and Buzzard.

Size of Bald-Eagle and Buzzard?

When it comes to size, The overall size of a Bald Eagle is 2.8-3.5 feet. It has a wingspan of six to eight feet.. Buzzards are generally 1.3-1.9 feet long. They have a wingspan of 3.6-4.5 feet. Upland Buzzard is one of the largest species. It is 1.8-2.3 feet long with a wingspan of 4.8 feet.

Bald Eagles are enormous birds. They weigh 7-15 pounds. while The average weight of a Buzzard is 1.2-2.8 pounds. The Upland Buzzard weighs 3.08 pounds.

Where do Bald-Eagle and Buzzard nest?

Bald Eagles build the largest nests among all birds in the world. Known as eyries, these nests are four to five feet wide and about two feet deep. They weight up to one ton. Some nests can be double this size. They are made by interweaving sticks and branches, while soft material like grass, feathers, and moss are used inside. Nests are generally positioned on top of large trees in the vicinity of water sources. The eggs are a pale white and shaped oval. Both partners share the task of incubating the eggs for about 35 days. The young ones fledge when they are eight to 14 weeks old.

Buzzards make large nests, about one meter in diameter and 60 centimeters in depth. They prefer an elevation of 10-80 feet above the ground. Both male and female partners build the nest on tall trees using twigs, leaves, sticks, branches, and other plant material. Sometimes Buzzards use an old nest by restoring it and adding soft material in the centre. The mother bird incubates the eggs that hatch in 38-39 days. The young ones fledge when they are 50-55 days old but stay with the parents for another eight weeks.

How long do Bald-Eagle and Buzzard live?

The average lifespan of Bald Eagles is 20-30 years in the wild. Their life is threatened by illegal hunting, lead poisoning, electrocution, and loss of habitat. The oldest lived Bald Eagle was 38 years old. It died in 2015 due to collision with a car.

The average lifespan of Buzzards is eight years. Infant mortality among the species is high due to starvation and human factors. The oldest Buzzard in the world is known to have lived for a little over 25 years.

Are Bald-Eagle or Buzzard migratory birds?

Bald Eagles usually reside in their territories throughout the year. The ones living in Canada and Alaska travel south to spend the winters in central and southern parts of USA.

Most Buzzards species are migratory. The ones living in Canada start migrating in September and travel as far as Venezuela. Buzzards from northern hemisphere and North America travel to Africa. The Steppe Buzzard is known for travelling the longest distance. It migrates from eastern Europe to Siberia during winters. The Himalayan Buzzard is another species that travels 1,000-2,000 miles.

Do Bald-Eagle and Buzzard fly in flocks?

A flock of Bald Eagles is called a congregation or convocation. The birds are solitary. In winters, they may roost in groups to keep themselves warm. They fly alone even during migration.

A flock of Buzzards is known as wake. These birds are not very sociable but are territorial. They may form small groups of about 20. They prefer being alone or with their partners while hunting. They however flock in large numbers during migration. The Grasshopper Buzzard is a species that is more gregarious, living in larger groups of up to a 100.

Are Bald-Eagle or Buzzard protected?

Bald Eagles are protected in the USA under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The laws prohibit harming and killing the birds or owning their body parts. The birds are also protected in Canada.

Buzzards are protected birds in the USA, where harming or killing them is against the law. In the UK, the birds are protected but one can get a license to kill them. Buzzards are also protected in other countries such as the Philippines, France, India, Japan, and Korea.

Are Bald-Eagle or Buzzard endangered?

The population of Bald Eagles had declining to about 450 nesting pairs in 1960s in the USA. The bird was listed as endangered in 1978. However, the banning of DDT and other conservation efforts have yielded good results. With an increase in the numbers of Bald Eagles to about 4,500 nesting pairs in 1995, the species was re-classified as threatened. With further increase in their population to over 6,300 nesting pairs in 2000, the species has been removed from the endangered and threatened species list.

Buzzards are of least concern in terms of conservation. Their numbers are observed to be on a rise in England. Europe has the largest population of Buzzards. On an overall scale, the numbers of Buzzards are declining. This can be attributed to exposure to pesticides that not only poison the birds, but also affect their reproductive abilities. Besides, they are also victims to illegal shooting.

Can Bald-Eagle and Buzzard fly?

Bald Eagles fly by soaring high with the use of thermals and wind currents. They manage their speed by altering the position of their wings. During long migration, the birds rarely flap their wings in order to conserve energy. The average flying speed of Bald Eagles is 75-100 miles an hour.

Buzzards have wide wings that help them soar high. However, the wings are rather weak. The birds do not flap their wings too much. The birds are mostly sedentary and do not move around much regularly. They fly in high altitudes by using thermals and obstruction wind currents. Buzzards can fly at a speed of 28-30 miles per hour.

Can Bald-Eagle and Buzzard swim?

Bald Eagles can swim but seldom do. They are mostly airborne birds. They also dive into water to catch their prey.

Buzzards are not water birds. They do not have the body structure or webbed feet to swim. They however go near waters for bathing and drinking.

Mating patterns among Bald-Eagle and Buzzard

Bald Eagles reach sexual maturity when they are four or five years old. During the breeding season, the birds become aggressive to defend their territory. Of their mating rituals, the prominent is the cartwheel courtship flight where the male and female soar high, lock their talons, and fall to the ground in a cartwheel spin. They also chase each other and perform aerial dances. The partners may copulate more than once a day. When the eggs are laid, both male and female take turns to incubate them for 34-36 days. The partners also share the responsibility of feeding and protecting the young ones. The eaglets are ready to fledge when they are about 12 weeks old.

Buzzards attain sexual maturity at the age of three. At the onset of the breeding season, the male and female pair follow each other, flying high in circles, and spiral downward with their wings raised high. The male also performs aerial dances and beats his flaps dramatically to impress the female. The female lays two to four eggs and incubates them for about 35 days. The eggs hatch in intervals of two days. She also broods the young ones for about two weeks, during which time the male fetches her the food. Thereafter, both partners engage in feeding the young ones.

When is the mating season for Bald-Eagle and Buzzard ?

Bald Eagles in the south-eastern regions of USA start mating in October and pursue till February-March. For the birds in western states, mating season commences in January.

Buzzards mate during March-May. While courtship and display commence in early March, fledging takes place in July.

Do Bald-Eagle and Buzzard mate for life?

Bald Eagles are monogamous. Not only do they mate for life, they also make caring partners and parents.

Buzzards are monogamous. They mate for life. They are also protective about their territory, defending it throughout the year.

How do Bald-Eagle and Buzzard sleep?

Bald Eagles roost communally during winters. They sleep on large trees to stay sheltered from severe wind and cold. During the breeding season, they sleep closer to the nests. The birds have a locking mechanism in their legs that allows them to maintain their standing posture while asleep.

Buzzards roost in colonies on top of trees where they feel safe. They gather each night in the same place for all the years.

Can Bald-Eagle and Buzzard be eaten?

Bald Eagles were eaten in ancient times by Hare, Tlingit, and few other communities. However, modern laws do not permit killing and consumption of the birds.

Some cultures in Africa eat the meat of Buzzards. However, it is not advisable to eat these birds as they contain decomposing bacteria and diseases in them, making them unhealthy for consumption.

Can you hunt Bald-Eagle or Buzzard?

Archaic cultures hunted Bald Eagles for food by using bows and arrows, hooks, and traps. Subsequently, they were hunted for sport and their feathers. Owing to a reduction in their population, laws have been passed prohibiting any form of killing and hunting of the birds.

Buzzards are not hunted for their meat. They are sometimes killed for harming livestock and poultry, or for sport. Many countries prohibit such killings, although in some countries like the UK license can be obtained to shoot these birds.

Can you feed Bald-Eagle or Buzzard?

Feeding Bald Eagles in public is forbidden in the USA and Canada. In captivity, the birds are given whole fish, rats, guinea pigs, and chicken.

In captivity, Buzzards are fed meat, chicken, rodents, and fish. It is not legal or encouraged to feed wild birds in public in most nations.