Buzzard gut contents

I randomly came across the blog of someone called Jonathan McGowan.

He seems pretty keen on his reptiles and blogs about all the species in the Bournemouth area, someone must know him on here as he helped out saving all the reptiles after the heath fire?

Anywho one of his posts was really interesting...

Reptile Rapters

Another road killed buzzard was picked up by myself just outside Bournemouth. It was a small light coloured male.On opening up its stomach, I found lots of lizards.Two gravid female common lizards, one gave birth whilst inside the stomach, two slow worms, one juvenile.Here they are in situ.

Here they are displayed out.


I've seen buzzards taking snakes but hadn't heard of many cases of lizards. I guess it isn't that surprising as they mainly feed on worms, but thought I would pass this on anyway!

Paul Hudson wrote: I wish someone would look into the stomach's of pheasants(when they occur on reptile sites) I have long suspected them as a preadator of reptiles ,one of the Merseyside sand lizard sites in particular has a worryingly high number of these pecking around on known S.L habitat.

Edited by sussexecology - 25 Jan 2012 at 8:52pm

Hi mark I am always pulling pheasants apart havent noticed anything yet. Keith

The closest I can get to on the pheasant front is a serries of photos posted on a bird forum where a pheasant eats a grass snake....

the images can be seen here

http://southeastbirding.myfreeforum.org/about221.html&highlight=snake

this was a really interesting post. thanks mark.

its quite surprising what buzzards will have a go at eh?;