Although there are no less than 48 species of raptors that fall into this category for which Buzzards Bay is named, only 28 are true buzzards classified as ‘buteos.’ They are slightly smaller than eagles but have very broad wings that they lock to rise on currents of warm air, to be seen soaring like turkey vultures, to locate their prey. They can also be identified sitting on a seaside fence post looking out across the bay, which is called ‘still hunting.’ They nest in a tree like an eagle or on a cliff with a substantial construction built with sticks and laying only several eggs to reproduce their bird-watching, iconic treasures of observation.
As in my illustration, the buzzard plumage of most species is essentially mottled dark brown with tail and underside with matching plumage. There is much variation of pigmentation even within individuals of a single species. I have purposely drawn my bird clutching a bluefish for seaside foraging imagery, although they normally are more of a scavenger of low-tide shorelines for washed-up, small maritime refuge or crayfish. As they also are on a carnivorous diet in woodland and countryside, their favorite prey can be rabbits, rodents, reptiles, and other birds that fall to their predation.
Today’s ethnological classification of bird names and nomenclature seems to describe a bird’s appearance and behavior as human beings and views it based upon one outstanding identifying characteristic. But this terminology has not followed the taxonomic accuracy of the interrelationship of species.
The binomial system of classification we use was devised in the 18th century by Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus. In his system, every living thing is given two names: the first a genus or general grouping, and secondly, a certain species within that group. Thus, without the use of binomials, the word ‘buzzard’ dates back to medieval England, where the buteo, or hawk, was considered the same bird.
The first explorer of Buzzards Bay was Bartholomew Gosnold from England, who landed on the island of Cuttyhunk in 1602. Gosnold was so impressed with the natural beauty of the bay, he might well have indulged in poetic license in selecting the proliferation of bird species to name the bay.
Both the buzzards and the ospreys were well known in England at the time, the latter characterized in the works of William Shakespeare. When I ran this article and illustration past retired Millicent Library Director Carolyn Longworth, she advised that Gosnold might have had in mind ospreys, buteo hawks, or both, as they were also plentiful at that time of the year.
By George B. Emmons
Very interesting! I think you meant “taxonomical” classification (paragraph 3) — “ethnology’ is a field of cultural anthropology that focuses on the comparative analysis of human cultures.