Behaviour of released rehabilitated Buzzards _Buteo buteo_

This study describes the behaviour of a sample of 16 rehabilitated Buzzards (_Buteo buteo_) during the early 3 days after release in a farming area in the flatland created by the Po river, northern Italy, a few kilometres from the river itself. They were located with radio-tracking and observed continuously with binoculars during the light hours. The flight length and the distance from the release point increased along the days, suggesting an improvement of the pectoral muscles strength and endurance, not fully acquired in captivity during the pre-release flights. The season was responsible for much of the variability observed for the choice of habitat. Several predation attempts were observed, whose different techniques were related to the habitat and the season. Many birds interacted with other species, particularly Corvids that mobbed frequently, while some Buzzards interacted with wild resident conspecifics. The birds did not form stable territories, but only temporary areas defended weakly.