A Europe-wide citizen science study published in March 2026 reports that the common buzzard is losing its typical plumage variety and is becoming more uniform in color across the continent. Analyzing nearly 100,000 observations collected between 2000 and 2022, researchers found that intermediate-colored buzzards are becoming more common, while the proportions of very dark variants fell by 22% and light variants by 14%. The trend challenges straightforward links to climate or forest camouflage, suggesting that the homogenization is driven by higher survival and reproductive success of intermediate-plumaged birds. The work, led by Kaspar Delhey with senior author Bart from the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, highlights how shifts in plumage diversity can reflect changes in evolutionary pressures within European ecosystems.