A buzzard is a type of large bird, in any of several different but related senses:
In the Old World:
- A medium-sized wide-ranging raptor with a robust body and broad wings.
- A raptor of the genus Buteo. In the Old World, members of this genus are named as "buzzards", but "hawk" is more common in North America.
- Any raptor which happens to have the word buzzard as part of its name.
In the New World:
- A synonym for vultures, particularly the American Black Vulture and Turkey Vulture, or as a general term for vultures and condors.
- In parts of the United States where they are considered pest, particularly in rural areas, a derogatory term for certain birds of prey, such as the Chickenhawk (a common colloquial name referring to both the Red-tailed Hawk and the Cooper's Hawk), or the Duck hawk (known elsewhere as the Peregrine Falcon). In the US, the term "buzzard" is never used to refer to birds of prey, like hawks, eagles, falcons, and owls, outside of this context.
- Rarely, a derogatory term for any large bird that happens to be a scavenger, such as a raven or albatross (in other words, any large bird that is neither predatory nor flightless).
One will note that the Old World and New World uses are almost antonyms.
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Vultures are scavenging birds, feeding mostly from carcasses of dead animals. Vultures are found in every continent but Antarctica and Oceania.
A particular characteristic of many vultures is a bald head, devoid of feathers. This is likely because a feathered head would become spattered with blood and other fluids, and thus be difficult to keep clean.
Vultures fall into two groups. The Old World vultures belong to the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, Kites, buzzards and hawks. These are found in Africa, Asia and Europe. They find carcasses exclusively by sight.
New World vultures and condors are not at all closely related to the superficially similar Accipitridae, but belong in the family Cathartidae. They have a good sense of smell, unusual for raptors.
The similarities between the two groups are due to convergent evolution rather than a close relationship.