Alternative name: Crested Honey Buzzard
- Pernis ptilorhynchus
Identification
52–68 cm (20½-26¾ in)
The male has a blue-grey head, while the female's head is brown. She is slightly larger and darker than the male. The male has a black tail with a white band, whilst the female resembles female European Honey Buzzard.
Similar Species
Not easy to distinguish from European Honey Buzzard, which overlap in the Middle East[1].
Distribution
Siberia east to Japan and south to Indonesia and The Philippines. Northern populations are migratory
Taxonomy
Considered conspecific with European Honey Buzzard by some authors.
Reference notes that difference in DNA and morphology support splitting into 2 species: "Oriental Honeybuzzard" (strict sense), P. orientalis, from subspecies orientalis, philippensis and ruficollis; and "Sunda Honeybuzzard", P. ptilorhynchus from palawanensis, ptilorhynchus and torquatus.
Subspecies
Clements recognises the following subspecies [1]:
- P. p. orientalis: "Oriental Honeybuzzard". South Siberia to Manchuria and Japan; winters to Greater Sundas
- P. p. ruficollis: "Oriental Honeybuzzard". India and Sri Lanka to Myanmar and extreme south west China
- P. p. philippensis: "Oriental Honeybuzzard". North and east Philippine Islands
- P. p. palawanensis: "Sunda Honeybuzzard". South Philippines (Palawan and Calauit)
- P. p. torquatus: "Sunda Honeybuzzard". Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo
- P. p. ptilorhynchus: "Sunda Honeybuzzard" Java
Habitat
A variety of woodland, with a preference for broadleafed trees.
Behaviour
Diet
It is a specialist feeder, living mainly on the larvae and nests of wasps, although it will take other small prey.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Jan 2018)
- Birdforum thread discussing separating this species from Eurasian Honey Buzzard
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1