Oriental Honey-buzzard

About the Oriental Honey-buzzard

The crested honey buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus), also known as the Oriental, Asiatic, or Eastern honey buzzard, is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, eagles, and harriers. It is a fairly large raptor, larger than the European honey buzzard. The name honey buzzard is derived from their diets, which consist mainly of the larvae of bees and wasps extracted from honey combs. It is sexually dimorphic and has six subspecies.

Crested honey buzzards migrate for breeding to Siberia and Japan during the summer. They then spend the winter in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. They are also a year-round resident in these latter areas. They prefer well-forested areas with open spaces and are found from sea level up to 1,800 m (5,900 ft).

The species has several adaptations for its specialist diet. These include an elongated head for foraging on underground nests and a groove in the tongue for extracting wasp grubs from their comb cells. A mass of short, dense feathers on the head and neck protect against stinging attacks by social wasps. Juveniles may have adopted Batesian mimicry to deter predators.

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