Common Buzzard

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Common Buzzard in Golden Gate Highlands National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Buzzard sighting in Golden Gate Highlands National Park, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

Q: When is the best time to see Common Buzzard in Golden Gate Highlands National Park?

February has the highest sighting rate for Common Buzzard in Golden Gate Highlands National Park in our monthly data.

Buteo buteo

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
FamilyAccipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
GenusButeo (Buteos)
SpeciesButeo buteo (Common Buzzard)

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

at Golden Gate Highlands National Park

14 Verified sightings at Golden Gate Highlands National Park From 2019 to 2026

29,668 Verified sightings across all 91 parks From 2019 to 2026

February Best month highest sighting rate

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Common Buzzard

The common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-sized bird of prey with a large range. It is a member of the genus Buteo in the family Accipitridae. The species lives in most of Europe and extends its breeding range across much of the Palearctic as far as northwestern China (Tian Shan), far western Siberia and northwestern Mongolia. Over much of its range, it is a year-round resident. However, buzzards from the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere as well as those that breed in the eastern part of their range typically migrate south for the northern winter, many journeying as far as South Africa.

The common buzzard is an opportunistic predator that can take a wide variety of prey, but it feeds mostly on small mammals, especially rodents such as voles. It typically hunts from a perch. Like most accipitrid birds of prey, it builds a nest, typically in trees in this species, and is a devoted parent to a relatively small brood of young. The common buzzard appears to be the most common diurnal raptor in Europe, as estimates of its total global population run well into the millions.

The first formal description of the common buzzard was by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Golden Gate Highlands National Park

Buteo rufofuscus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Gyps coprotheres

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Gypaetus barbatus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Aquila verreauxii

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Elanus caeruleus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Lophaetus occipitalis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Polyboroides typus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Milvus migrans

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Gyps africanus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Circus ranivorus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Sagittarius serpentarius

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

See all 11 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~60%
2	Hortobágy National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~50%
3	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~50%
4	Cairngorms National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~50%
5	Biebrza National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	~50%
6	Picos de Europa National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~50%
7	Białowieża National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	~40%
8	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	~40%
9	Bavarian Forest National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	~40%
10	Snowdonia National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~40%
11	Hohe Tauern National Park	🇦🇹 Austria	~40%
12	Mercantour National Park	🇫🇷 France	~30%
13	Triglav National Park	🇸🇮 Slovenia	~30%
14	Cévennes National Park	🇫🇷 France	~30%
15	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	~30%
16	Aigüestortes National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~30%
17	Horton Plains National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	~20%
18	Plitvice Lakes National Park	🇭🇷 Croatia	~20%
19	Sierra de Guadarrama National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~20%
20	Tatra National Park	🇸🇰 Slovakia	~20%
21	Ecrins National Park	🇫🇷 France	~20%
22	Doñana National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~20%
23	Vanoise National Park	🇫🇷 France	~20%
24	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
25	Camargue	🇫🇷 France	~20%
26	Monfragüe National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~20%
27	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
28	Gauja National Park	🇱🇻 Latvia	~20%
29	Golden Gate Highlands National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
30	Aberdare National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
31	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
32	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
33	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
34	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
35	Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~10%
36	Mkomazi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
37	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
38	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
39	Sierra Nevada National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~10%
40	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
41	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
42	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~10%
43	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~10%
44	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
45	Semuliki National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
46	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
47	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
48	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
49	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
50	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
51	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
52	Etosha National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	<5%
53	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	<5%
54	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
55	Kibale National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
56	Kidepo Valley National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
57	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
58	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
59	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
60	Nyungwe National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	<5%
61	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	<5%
62	Volcanoes National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	<5%
63	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	<5%
64	Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
65	Bwindi Impenetrable National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
66	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	<5%
67	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	<5%
68	Doi Inthanon National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	<5%
69	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	<5%
70	Mana Pools National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	<5%
71	Nagarhole National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
72	Royal Manas National Park	🇧🇹 Bhutan	<5%
73	Periyar National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
74	Waterberg Plateau Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	Insufficient data
75	Bale Mountains National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	Insufficient data
76	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	Insufficient data
77	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
78	Lower Zambezi National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	Insufficient data
79	Eravikulam National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
80	Gir National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
81	Gorongosa National Park	🇲🇿 Mozambique	Insufficient data
82	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
83	Bandipur National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
84	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	Insufficient data
85	Keoladeo National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
86	Kaziranga National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
87	Mudumalai National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
88	Sinharaja Forest Reserve	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	Insufficient data
89	Ranthambore National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
90	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	Insufficient data
91	Manas National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Common Buzzard in Golden Gate Highlands National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Buzzard sighting in Golden Gate Highlands National Park, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Common Buzzard in Golden Gate Highlands National Park?

February has the highest sighting rate for Common Buzzard in Golden Gate Highlands National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Golden Gate Highlands National Park

Common Buzzard

About the Common Buzzard

Closest Relatives at Golden Gate Highlands National Park

Jackal Buzzard

Cape Griffon

Bearded Vulture

Verreaux's Eagle

Black-winged Kite

Long-crested Eagle

African Harrier-Hawk

Black Kite

White-backed Vulture

African Marsh-Harrier

Secretary Bird

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Quick answers