#0630 · Unova · Generation 5

Mandibuzz

Bone Vulture Pokémon · Dark/Flying-type

Mandibuzz is a Dark/Flying-type Pokémon, the Bone Vulture Pokémon, number 630 (#0630) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 5 and comes from the Unova region. It is 1.2 m tall and weighs 39.5 kg.

Mandibuzz is the Bone Vulture Pokémon, a female-only vulture that decorates itself with bones and builds its nest from them. The Pokédex says the bones are supposedly meant to attract males, though no male has ever turned up.

How to pronounce Mandibuzz

Mandibuzz is pronounced MAN-dih-buz. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Mandibuzz said out loud:

In Japanese it is バルジーナ (Vulgina).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Mandibuzz is 1.2 m tall and 39.5 kg, a brown vulture with a bare pink head, red eyes, a notched black beak and a tan ruff. It wears a toothed jawbone like a skirt, and a long tuft with a bone in it hangs off the back of its head. When it sits on a Vullaby chick, its skirt and the chick's bones form an upside-down skull.

Behaviour

Mandibuzz circles in the sky and swoops down on weakened Pokémon, carrying them back to a nest built of bones. It also fetches food for Vullaby and takes in lost chicks, although the Pokédex calls it a bit of a ruffian. Different bones come in and out of fashion among Mandibuzz.

Habitat

The Pokédex says it nests among the bones it collects. In Scarlet and Violet it lives in the Terarium's savanna biome.

Diet

The Pokédex says it hunts weakened Pokémon, and that its choicest food is Cubone.

Powers

Its Abilities are Big Pecks and Overcoat, with Weak Armor hidden. It begins with Bone Rush and learns Knock Off, Air Slash, Dark Pulse, Nasty Plot and Brave Bird at level 80. Its high HP and Defense make it a sturdy defensive bird.

Name origin

Mandibuzz may combine 'mandible' or mandil, the Spanish word for 'apron', with 'buzzard'. The Japanese name is Vulgina (バルジーナ), which may mix 'vulture' or 'vulgar' with regina, 'queen' in Latin and Italian.

Design inspiration

James Turner designed Mandibuzz. Bulbapedia says it may be based on Old World vultures: its taste for bones recalls the bearded vulture, while its look most resembles a lappet-faced vulture with a white-rumped vulture's ruff. The ancient Egyptians believed every vulture was female, an idea that may lie behind its all-female status. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Mandibuzz evolves from Vullaby at level 54.

In the games

Black and White is where Mandibuzz first appears, as a Black-version exclusive on Route 11 and Village Bridge. In Scarlet and Violet it joins with the DLC, where it evolves from Vullaby and appears in 5-star and 6-star Tera Raids. Bulbapedia lists it as unobtainable in Legends: Z-A.

In the anime

Mandibuzz debuted in 'Meowth's Scrafty Tactics!', where one kicked out of her nest took over a wild Scrafty's den and lost to Ash's Scraggy. Katharine's Mandibuzz later lost to Ash's Tepig in 'Scraggy and the Demanding Gothita!'.

Fun facts

• Mandibuzz gives 2 Special Attack EVs, even though Special Attack is its lowest base stat.
• Of the Pokémon introduced in Generation V, it has the highest HP of any Dark or Flying type, and the highest Defense and Special Defense of any Flying type.
• Team Plasma Grunts use Mandibuzz in the Pokémon Generations episode 'The Uprising', and Team Plasma uses them in Pokémon Adventures too.

Sources: Bulbapedia: Mandibuzz (Pokémon) · Serebii: Mandibuzz (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex)

Base stats

• HP: 110
• Attack: 65
• Defense: 105
• Sp. Atk: 55
• Sp. Def: 95
• Speed: 80

Mandibuzz’s base stat total is 510. Its highest stat is HP.

Type matchups

What is Mandibuzz weak to?

Mandibuzz takes extra damage from Electric (2×), Ice (2×), Rock (2×), Fairy (2×) moves.

It resists Grass (½×), Ghost (½×), Dark (½×).

It is immune to Ground, Psychic moves.

Evolution

What does Mandibuzz evolve from?

Mandibuzz evolves from Vullaby at level 54.

Mandibuzz is the final stage of its evolution family.

The whole family: Vullaby, Mandibuzz.

Abilities

• Big Pecks: Protects against Defense drops.
• Overcoat: Protects against damage from weather.
• Weak Armor (hidden ability): Raises Speed and lowers Defense by one stage each upon being hit by a physical move.

Moves

Moves Mandibuzz learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

“Evo” means Mandibuzz learns the move the moment it evolves: Bone Rush.

TM moves (45)

Mandibuzz can learn 45 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Fake Tears, Scary Face, Protect, Acrobatics, Thief, Facade, Aerial Ace, Snarl, Swift, Rock Tomb, Air Cutter, Endure, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Sandstorm, U-turn, Foul Play, Air Slash, Sleep Talk, Rest, Taunt, Dark Pulse, Fly, Substitute, Iron Defense, Tailwind, Shadow Ball, Heat Wave, Nasty Plot, Giga Impact, Hurricane, Hyper Beam, Brave Bird, Tera Blast, Toxic, Spite, Knock Off, Uproar, Dual Wingbeat, Lash Out, Psych Up, Double-Edge, Feather Dance, Throat Chop.

Egg moves (3):Mean Look, Roost, Toxic.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 0% male, 100% female.
• Egg groups: Flying.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 60 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 35.
• Growth rate: Slow (1,250,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 2 Sp. Atk effort values.
• Base experience yield: 179.

Pokédex entries

They adorn themselves with bones. There seem to be fashion trends among them, as different bones come into and fall out of popularity. (Shield)

Although it's a bit of a ruffian, this Pokémon will take lost Vullaby under its wing and care for them till they're ready to leave the nest. (Sword)

It's always searching for food for Vullaby. When it finds a weak Pokémon, Mandibuzz swoops it right off to its nest. (Ultra Moon)

It skillfully arranges the bones of its prey to construct its nest. Most of the bones are Cubone. (Ultra Sun)

It circles in the sky, keeping a keen eye out for Pokémon in a weakened state. Its choicest food is Cubone. (Moon)

They adorn themselves beautifully with bones. This is supposedly an effort to attract males, but no male Mandibuzz have ever been found. (Sun)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Highest HP among Flying types in Gen 5: 110.
• Highest Defense among Flying types in Gen 5: 105.
• Highest Sp. Def among Flying types in Gen 5: 95.
• Highest HP among Dark types in Gen 5: 110.
• Taller than 58% of all Pokémon (1.2 m).
• Heavier than 60% of all Pokémon (39.5 kg).
• Base stat total 510, ranked #237 of 1,025.
• Its best stat is HP, ranked #54 of 1,025.
• One of 7 Pokémon that are both Dark and Flying.
• One of 147 brown Pokémon.
• Number 137 of 156 Pokémon introduced in Generation 5 (Unova).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 56 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 60: about 7.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 9 distinct Pokédex entries.

Sources and fact-checking

• Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: PokéAPI open game data.
• Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from Bulbapedia: Mandibuzz (Pokémon), Serebii: Mandibuzz (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (MAN-dih-buz): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.

Last checked: 20 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Dark-type Pokémon · Flying-type Pokémon · Dark/Flying weaknesses and matchups · Unova region guide · Big Pecks ability · Overcoat ability · Weak Armor ability · Compare Mandibuzz · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 5 Dark-type Pokémon · Gen 5 Flying-type Pokémon · Gen 5 Pokémon list · Brown Pokémon list · Flying egg group · Pokémon that start with M · Bird Pokémon

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