Pernis ptilorhynchus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
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 |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report an Oriental Honey-buzzard sighting in Royal Manas National Park on a given day, based on 184 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 98th most-seen of the 388 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and November–December
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Oriental Honey-buzzard in Royal Manas National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, May–June and October, the lowest months. Those are among Royal Manas National Park's driest months, with about 75 mm of rain a month against 930 mm in July. August and September have too few records to rate.
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.
18th of 44
Of the 44 parks where we can rate Oriental Honey-buzzard sightings, Royal Manas National Park ranks 18th at about 20%. The best odds are in Gir National Park (India, about 50%), Royal Bardia National Park (Nepal, about 30%) and Chitwan National Park (Nepal, about 30%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Accipitridae
The closest relatives of the Oriental Honey-buzzard that you can see in Royal Manas National Park (family Accipitridae, Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) are Crested Serpent Eagle (about 20%), Mountain Hawk-Eagle (about 20%) and Black Eagle (about 20%), 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 Royal Manas National Park (184 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
