In Focus - a closer look at European Honey-buzzard

FACTFILE:

Name: European Honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus

UK Population: 33-69 pairs (source: British Trust for Ornithology)

UK Conservation Status: Amber

World Population: 280,000-420,000 individuals (source: BirdLife International)

IUCN Red List Category: Red List, Least Concern

Migration is thirsty work and Honey-buzzards relish the opportunity for a quick drink. Coming in to land over water presents great opportunities for photographers because the birds will be underlit by reflections off the pool’s surface. ©Paul Sterry… — Migration is thirsty work and Honey-buzzards relish the opportunity for a quick drink. Coming in to land over water presents great opportunities for photographers because the birds will be underlit by reflections off the pool’s surface. ©Paul Sterry/Nature Photographers Ltd.

Perhaps more than any other species the Honey-buzzard stands as an icon for the contempt that Man has for wildlife and the environment. A bird of woodlands, with a specialised diet of bee and wasp larvae, the Honey-buzzard is vulnerable to our impact on the environment both during winter months spent in Africa and also across Europe and parts of Asia in summer. But it is on migration when the direct impact of human nature at its most repulsive is felt: these magnificent birds are slaughtered in large numbers, shot by men - and it is mostly men - who, put simply, enjoy killing things. They don’t merit the terms ‘hunters’ or ‘sportsmen’ because their pointless actions have no purpose and require no skill.

Israel’s Arava Valley, flanked by the Eilat Mountains, is an important migration route in spring. The mountains are both an obstacle and a blessing for the birds – the east-facing flanks of the peaks warm up after first light and generate plenty of … — Israel’s Arava Valley, flanked by the Eilat Mountains, is an important migration route in spring. The mountains are both an obstacle and a blessing for the birds – the east-facing flanks of the peaks warm up after first light and generate plenty of thermals. ©Paul Sterry/Nature Photographers Ltd.

This wilful and utterly senseless slaughter is enough to make any rational person give up on the human race, were it not for the fact that there are also people out there willing to put their lives at risk, quite literally in some instances, in an attempt to prevent it from happening. Among their numbers are members of the German NGO Committee Against Bird Slaughter (or Komitee gegen den Vogelmord e.V. in German) whose volunteers bravely target the worst offending countries - particularly Malta, Cyprus, Italy and France - in spring and autumn. Symbolic though it may be, the Honey-buzzard is of course just one of many bird species that run the gauntlet of the guns. And being shot is only one of the varied ways in which the migrants are persecuted and killed.

During the breeding season, Honey-buzzards are associated with woodland habitats and are typically secretive and unobtrusive. They spend a lot of their time following the activity of wasps and bees in order to locate their nests. ©Paul Sterry/Nature… — During the breeding season, Honey-buzzards are associated with woodland habitats and are typically secretive and unobtrusive. They spend a lot of their time following the activity of wasps and bees in order to locate their nests. ©Paul Sterry/Nature Photographers Ltd.

The Honey-buzzard may be superficially similar to Buteo buzzards but that’s where the similarity ends. As its name suggests it has a highly specialised diet which comprises mainly the larvae and pupae of colonial-nesting bees and wasps. It is well-adapted to this challenging diet, having long and powerful claws used to tear open nests. Armed with ability to inflict painful stings, the bees and wasps don’t give up without a fight and the Honey-buzzard’s nostrils are protected by an overlapping plate that prevents the insects gaining access. Just one of many adaptations to their curious lifestyle.

Once a Honey-buzzard gets a sense that a wasp or bee nest is nearby, the hunt will be on to find it. Ground-nesting wasps can be very discrete early in the season, and birds may have to spend time on the ground to locate their prize. ©Paul Sterry/Na… — Once a Honey-buzzard gets a sense that a wasp or bee nest is nearby, the hunt will be on to find it. Ground-nesting wasps can be very discrete early in the season, and birds may have to spend time on the ground to locate their prize. ©Paul Sterry/Nature Photographers Ltd.

The fact that Honey-buzzards migrate is not in itself a surprise. In fact, it is inevitable given their diet: during northern winters, bees and wasps are largely dormant and colonies will have dwindled, represented in the main by a few hibernating queens. So, unsurprisingly they head south for the winter, mostly to sub-Saharan Africa where the pickings are better. Southward migration tends to be staggered and prolonged but in contrast spring migration can be spectacularly intense in certain locations, with mass movements of birds occurring when conditions are right for soaring and gliding. In Eilat, in southern Israel, there are occasional days in late April and early May when more than 100,000 birds are seen in a single morning – that’s a significant proportion of the entire world population.

On migration, if you see one Honey-buzzard you are likely to see dozens if not hundreds. Early mornings are usually spent seeking thermals as the ground warms up and air rises. Once a decent thermal has been found, more and more birds arrive, circle… — On migration, if you see one Honey-buzzard you are likely to see dozens if not hundreds. Early mornings are usually spent seeking thermals as the ground warms up and air rises. Once a decent thermal has been found, more and more birds arrive, circle and rise to immense heights before gliding northwards towards their breeding grounds. ©Paul Sterry/Nature Photographers Ltd.