Thursday 30 May 2013

Honey Buzzards

Two Honey Buzzard species in one month!  

Several migrating Oriental Honey Buzzards (or maybe Crested Honey Buzzards depending on your taxonomic preference) were seen by Peter earlier this month during his trip to China.

 Oriental Honey Buzzard

 European Honey Buzzard

And then yesterday at Castro Marim in the Eastern Algarve we came across this European Honey Buzzard, presumably also a late (and very tired) migrant.  Our only previous experience of this species in the Algarve has been much further west and with autumn migrants in September and October so this was most unexpected.

These birds belong to the genus Pernis and are not related to the ‘true’ buzzards of the genus Buteo although in several respects their appearance is quite similar.  Because they aren’t really buzzards, they are sometimes referred to as Honey-buzzards rather than Honey Buzzards!

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