Crested Honey Buzzard

Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis Ptilorhynchus also known as Oriental Honey Buzzard was recorded five times on this trip with two sightings today at Mr Tii’s. This was an excellent place to visit on our final morning as Mr Tii himself is an enthusiastic birder who has built a tower adjacent to his house from which one can view the forest edge and the surrounding countryside. This photo was taken from the tower and as is often the case with birds of prey in flight, one only manages to get the bird in focus when it has already passed overhead.

Other photos from the top of tower were long distance including a remarkable flock (there must be a better collective noun) of thirteen Green Peafowl including a male bird with the longest tail feathers that I have ever seen. I actually deleted all the photos deliberately as the birds were too small and the photos not worth publishing.

Crested Honey Buzzard is a species of least conservation concern with a resident and breeding range of over 38 million square kilometres. It breeds in Asia from central Siberia east to Japan. It is a summer migrant to Siberia, wintering in tropical south east Asia. Elsewhere it is more or less resident. It is a specialist feeder, living mainly on the larvae of social bees and wasps, also eating bits of comb and honey; it will take other small insect prey such as cicadas.

Reference: BirdLife; Wikipedia