adult

adult underwing light European distribution female

Identification

It is best distinguished from the Common Buzzard by rather subtle differences in shape. The head is longer and narrower, the tail longer and slimmer and the wings are longer and held horizontally during soaring flight. Plumages of both buzzards are confusingly variable but Honey Buzzards are sometimes characteristically barred across the underwings and if you see that the tail has only three well-spaced bars then you can be sure you've got a Honey Buzzard.

Habitat

Breeds in mature deciduous woodland and parkland.

Behaviour

The most striking version of their soaring displays involves a characteristic wing quivering which looks as if the bird is clapping its wings together above its head. This starts with normal soaring to a considerable height, followed by a steep plunge to provide the momentum for a sudden upward swoop. At the top of this swoop, the bird stalls with its wings quivering above its back. This display is certainly performed by males but possibly not by females.

Migration

Birds migrate to tropical Africa during late August to mid-September, returning in May. Small numbers cross the Mediterranean Sea but most avoid doing so and therefore concentrate where the sea is narrowest, for example, at Gibraltar (approximately 100 000 each autumn) and Istanbul (up to 26 000 each autumn). Further east in Turkey, up to 136 000 birds have been counted passing down the eastern side of the Baltic and up to 850,000 have been counted in a single season in Eilat, Israel.

This information is taken from the BirdFile on the appropriate BirdGuides DVD-ROM. As well as video and sounds, our CD- and DVD-ROMs contain additional text on Voice, Sexing, Ageing, Food, Nests and Eggs and more.

For the purposes of our bird news services, Honey Buzzard is classed as Scarce: broadly speaking, species that are covered in British Birds' annual review of scarce species (and forms of similar rarity).

Al Khor, Qatar 10/10/2009	Mandirac, Gruissan, Languedoc-Roussillon, France 04/09/2009	Mandirac, Gruissan, Languedoc-Roussillon, France 04/09/2009	Algeciras, Andalucia, Spain 18/09/2009	Askham Bog, N Yorks 28/08/2009
Alexandra Park, London 08/09/2009	Alexandra Park, London 08/09/2009	Brading Marshes, IOW 06/09/2009	Danube Delta, Romania 18/08/2009	New Forest, Hants 16/08/2009

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Honey Buzzard breeds in the following countries (Bird News Extra subscribers will see population statistics and information on trends for each country):

Albania
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Britain
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Italy
Latvia
Lichtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Moldova
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Serbia and Montenegro
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine

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	London Raptors: a review of September 2008	Saturday 11th October 2008
	A remarkable influx of raptors is documented by Inner London Recorder, Des McKenzie.

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