Pernis ptilorhynchus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
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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| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ludhiana | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Asansol | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Singapore | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 4 | Berhampore | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Savar | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | |
| 7 | Nagpur | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 8 | Lucknow | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Colachel | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Kuching | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heinola bird sanctuary | 🇫🇮 Finland | |
| 2 | Taipei Zoo | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 3 | Shanghai Zoo | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 4 | Bandung Zoo | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 5 | Albay Park and Wildlife | 🇵🇭 Philippines | |
| 6 | Himeji City Zoo | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 7 | Bali Bird Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 8 | 野森動物學校 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Oriental Honey-buzzard sighting in Kozhikode on a given day, based on 89 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 109th most-seen of the 229 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March–April, June, August and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Oriental Honey-buzzard in Kozhikode on a given day, against under 5% in May, July, September and November–February, the lowest months.
Between 4 and 7 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Oriental Honey-buzzard sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
37th of 82
Of the 82 cities where we can rate Oriental Honey-buzzard sightings, Kozhikode ranks 37th at under 5%. The best odds are in Ludhiana (India, about 40%), Asansol (India, about 30%) and Singapore (Singapore, about 20%).
Same family: Accipitridae
The closest relatives of the Oriental Honey-buzzard that you can see in Kozhikode (family Accipitridae, Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) are Brahminy Kite (about 70%), Black Kite (about 50%) and Crested Serpent Eagle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Oriental Honey-buzzard is recorded against all the birds logged in Kozhikode (89 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
