Common Buzzard - Systematics

Systematics

The Common Buzzard was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 as Falco buteo. Buzzard subspecies fall into two groups. The western Buteo group is mainly resident or short-distance migrants. They are:

• Buteo buteo buteo: most of Europe
• B. b. rothschildi: Azores
• B. b. insularum: Canary Islands
• B. b. arrigonii: Corsica and Sardinia
• B. b. menetriesi: Caucasus
• B. b. harterti: Madeira, doubtfully distinct from nominate Buteo

The eastern vulpinus group includes

• B. b. vulpinus (Steppe Buzzard): Eurasia: migrant breeder
• B. b. burmanicus (Himalayan Buzzard): Himalayas and western China
• B. b. japonicus: Japan: resident
• B. b. toyoshimai: Izu Islands and Bonin Islands
• B. b. oshiroi: Daito Islands

Two resident forms on islands close to Africa are often assigned to the first group, but appear to be distinct species, more closely related to the African Long-legged Buzzard, based on biogeography and preliminary mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data (Clouet & Wink 2000):

• Buteo bannermani (Cape Verde Buzzard): Cape Verde Islands
• Buteo socotraensis (Socotra Buzzard) of Socotra