Vulture vs Buzzard
Verdict: Check where you are. In the US a 'buzzard' is usually a turkey vulture, a bare-headed carrion eater that teeters in flight. In Europe a buzzard is a hawk-like bird of prey with a feathered head that hunts voles and rabbits.
The words mean different things on each side of the Atlantic. In Europe, buzzard names soaring hawks of the genus Buteo, such as the common buzzard. In North America the word slid over to vultures, so a turkey vulture is often called a buzzard even though the official name is vulture. The two are different birds.
This page compares a turkey vulture with a buzzard in the European sense, the common buzzard. A North American red-tailed hawk is the nearest US match for that buzzard shape, with similar broad wings and a short tail. If you only see a dark bird circling overhead, the quiz works through wings, head, flight and food.
Vulture vs Buzzard side by side
| Trait | Vulture | Buzzard |
|---|---|---|
| What the word means | Turkey vulture is the official name; locals in the US often say buzzard | In Europe, a soaring hawk of the Buteo group |
| Wingspan | 67 to 70 inches (turkey vulture) | About 120 cm, roughly 47 inches (common buzzard) |
| Weight | About 70.5 ounces | Up to about 1 kilogram, about 35 ounces |
| Head | Bare skin, bright red in adults and ashy gray in young birds | Feathered, with a sharp hooked beak |
| Flight style | Wings held in a shallow V, wobbling teetering flight with little flapping | Soars high on broad rounded wings with a short tail |
| Wing shape | Long wings with two-toned undersides | Broad, rounded wings and a short tail |
| Food | Carrion, found partly by smell, often seen at roadsides and landfills | Voles, mice, rabbits, birds, worms and also roadkill |
Last verified October 2026. Typical values; individual animals, products and local prices vary.
When you are looking at which
Vulture
- The bird has a bare red head and soars with wings in a V, rocking side to side.
- You are in the US and someone says buzzard, meaning a big dark bird circling.
- You see several circling together in a kettle over open ground or a landfill.
- It is clearly feeding on a carcass, with a bald head and a hooked bill.
Buzzard
- The bird is a hawk-like raptor with a feathered head and a short fan-shaped tail.
- You are in the UK or Europe and the bird soars high over woods and fields.
- It hovers or dives onto a vole or mouse in the grass.
- The underside is pale, often with a light necklace beneath the breast.
How this works
The quiz asks about the head, wing posture in flight, wingspan, food and region. It uses measurements and descriptions from bird-identification guides for the turkey vulture and the common buzzard, and the answers lean on clear visual cues rather than guesses.
It cannot cover every vulture or buzzard in the world, since Old World vultures, black vultures and other buzzards differ. Use it for the usual US and UK birds, and if the bird is too far away to judge, a regional field guide or local birding group will settle it.
Where these numbers come from
The figures and defaults on this page are based on:
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Turkey Vulture Identification, Vulture size, bare head, V-shaped teetering flight, smell and carrion (checked October 2026)
- Woodland Trust: Buzzard (Buteo buteo), Common buzzard wingspan, weight, wings, tail and diet (checked October 2026)
- Birding Is Fun: A Buzzard is a Buteo, Not a Vulture, How buzzard means a hawk in Europe and a vulture in North America (checked October 2026)
Field-identification and naming guide; it uses the turkey vulture and common buzzard as examples and does not cover every species.
Frequently asked questions
Is a buzzard a vulture?
In North America people often use buzzard for a vulture, but the proper name is vulture. In Europe, a buzzard is a hawk-like bird of prey in the Buteo group, so they are different birds.
How can I tell a turkey vulture from a hawk when it is far away?
Look at the flight. A turkey vulture holds its wings raised in a V, rocks side to side with few flaps and has two-toned wings from below. A hawk such as the red-tailed soars on broad rounded wings, often showing a reddish tail.
Do vultures kill live animals?
Turkey vultures feed mainly on carrion and use smell to find fresh carcasses. Buzzards and hawks hunt live prey such as voles and mice, though a buzzard will also scavenge roadkill.
How big is a common buzzard?
About 120 centimeters in wingspan, roughly 47 inches, and up to about 1 kilogram in weight. A turkey vulture is larger, with a 67 to 70 inch wingspan and about 70 ounces.
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