>> GENERAL >>>>>
– size of Common Buzzard
– diurnal migrant
– migrates single or in loose flocks
– at migration bottlenecks several hundred to thousands may flock
>> VISUAL ID >>>>>
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, 1CY
BIF3513, 16/09/2020, Falsterbo, Sweden, Mathias Putze
dark morph
– rather uniform dark-brown body and underwing coverts contrasting to lighter based outer remiges
– primaries broad dark tipped
– barring of wing more distict and tail longer than in -> Common Buzzard
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, 1CY
BIF3514, 16/09/2020, Falsterbo, Sweden, Mathias Putze
dark morph
– note the pigeon-like head and bill
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, 1CY
BIF3515, 16/09/2020, Falsterbo, Sweden, Mathias Putze
dark morph
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, 1CY
BIF3516, 16/09/2020, Falsterbo, Sweden, Mathias Putze
light morph
– bulging secondaries and narrow ‘hand’ can lead to a striking resemblence with Northern Goshawk
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, 1CY
BIF3518, 16/09/2020, Falsterbo, Sweden, Mathias Putze
light morph
– light birds usually show a dark mask around the eye (not always that distinct)
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, 1CY
BIF3517, 15/09/2020, Falsterbo, Sweden, Mathias Putze
dark and rufous morph
– Common Buzzardwould never show such a neat unicoloured underside
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, 1CY
BIF1374, 05/09/2012, Oberpfalz, Germany, Mathias Putze
dark morph
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, 1CY
BIF1382, 05/09/2012, Oberpfalz, Germany, Mathias Putze
dark morph
– uniform dark appearance
– barring of wing barely recognisable from above
– slightly lighter inner hand
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, 1 CY
Hooded Crow Corvus cornix
BIF1419, 11/10/2011, Besh Barmag, Azerbaijan, Michael Heiß
dark intermediate morph
– contrast between underwing coverts and broad white based remiges
– outermost primaries (‘fingers’) rather short -> Crested Honey Buzzard
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, 1CY
BIF1423, 16/09/2010, Ras Garib, Egypt, Michael Heiß
dark and rufous morph
– dusky secondaries
– broad black tipped outer primaries and largely white inner primaries
– distict black trailing edge to the wing -> Booted Eagle
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, F AD
BIF3519, 15/09/2020, Falsterbo, Sweden, Mathias Putze
intermediate morph,
– typical silhouette with fairly small head and long tail
– five long ‘fingers’ (six ‘fingers’ in Crested Honey Buzzard)
– F wing pattern with evenly spaced barring
– F tail pattern with narrower terminal band than M
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, F AD
BIF1373, 26/06/2014, Jüterbog, Germany, Mathias Putze
lighter intermediate morph
– carpal patches more obvious in lighter birds
– barring of the wings more irregular than in M
– possibly young AD due to indistict black trailing edge to the wing
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, F AD
BIF3520, 16/09/2020, Falsterbo, Sweden, Mathias Putze
intermediate morph,
– less clean patterned with more wingbars than M
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, F AD
BIF1420, 14/09/2010, Ras Garib, Egypt, Michael Heiß
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, M AD
BIF1370, 26/06/2014, Jüterbog, Germany, Mathias Putze
– grey head with yellow eye
– broad black trailing edge to the wing, large gap to next wingband
– upperside generally greyer than in F
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, M AD
BIF3276, 19/05/2014, Bad Segeberg, Germany, Roland Neumann
– typical head-on view with ‘hanging hand’
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, M AD
BIF3521, 16/09/2020, Falsterbo, Sweden, Mathias Putze
light morph
– note dark brown oval shaped carpal patch (missing in Crested Honey Buzzard, comma in Common Buzzard and round in Rough-legged Buzzard)
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, M AD
BIF3522, 16/09/2020, Falsterbo, Sweden, Mathias Putze
intermediate morph
– large gap between broad black trailing edge and next wingband
– distinctly contrasting black tipped outer primaries
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, M AD
BIF1377, 26/06/2014, Jüterbog, Germany, Mathias Putze
intermediate morph
– broad black terminal band in tail
– generally much cleaner patternd than Common Buzzard, which would never show such a neat barring of body and underwing
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, M AD
BIF1379, 26/06/2014, Jüterbog, Germany, Mathias Putze
– striking M tail and wing pattern
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, M AD
BIF1380, 12/05/2008, Rügen, Germany, Mathias Putze
– in straight flight typical shape of folded tail caused by round tipped rectrices
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, M AD
BIF1381, 26/06/2014, Jüterbog, Germany, Mathias Putze
– contrasting grey head and broad tipped primaries
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, F AD
BIF2138, 15/06/2017, Trinwillershagen, Germany, Roland Neumann
– F upperside unicoloured brown, inner hand with pale window
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, M AD
BIF1383, 12/05/2008, Rügen, Germany, Mathias Putze
– recognisable as AD by broad black trailing edge
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, 1CY
BIF1421, 17/10/2010, Ras Garib, Egypt, Michael Heiß
– darker carpal patches not as obvious as in AD
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, AD M
BIF3523, 14/09/2020, Falsterbo, Sweden, Mathias Putze
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus AD
BIF1422, 14/09/2010, Ras Garib, Egypt, Michael Heiß
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus AD and 1CY (lowest bird)
BIF1424, 14/09/2010, Ras Garib, Egypt, Michael Heiß
– dusky secondaries and very broad black tipped primaries in 1CY
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus
BIF1425, 14/09/2010, Ras Garib, Egypt, Michael Heiß
>> ACOUSTIC ID >>>>>
– usually nonvocal during migration
>> COMPARISON SPECIES >>>>>
Crested Honey Buzzard (v)
Rough-legged Buzzard (v)
Common Buzzard (v)
Long-legged Buzzard (v)
Upland Buzzard (v)
Booted Eagle (v)
#raptor #birdofprey #birdsofprey #soaringbird
#ornithology #birdmigration #birdID #birdguide #birding #birdwatching #birdsound #westernpalearctic #europe #vismig #flightcalls #middleeast #northernafrica #workinprogress