Pernis apivorus

Despite its common name, Honey Buzzard is not a true Buzzard (Buteo) but is one of a small group of birds of prey that feed predominantly on grubs and adults of wasps, bees and other invertebrates. Due to their diet they do not have overly developed beaks, whilst the beak is the typical shape of a raptor it is weak, but Honey Buzzards have tightly arranged scale-like feathers on their heads, to help prevent them being stung.

Honey Buzzards are well-known as an identification challenge, with separation from Common Buzzard in flight being a frequent pitfall. This similarity may be more than coincidence. It is thought that this could be a defence against potential predation by Goshawk. Although able to tackle a Common Buzzard, a Goshawk is going to be more cautious against this well-armed species, than against the much weaker Honey Buzzard. Other Honey Buzzard species in Asia have plumage similarities to certain Hawk-eagles for the same protection against local predators.

Identification of Honey Buzzard is further complicated by a range of plumages, with male and female, juvenile and adult and light-phase and dark-phase variants being encountered.

Honey Buzzards are rare and secretive birds in the UK, but are widely distributed and can be watched at several watchpoints around the country. It is a widespread species in Europe, and vast numbers can be encountered at some migration hotspots in southern Europe and the Middle East.

VITAL STATISTICS

Size: Average 56cm, wingspan 142cm. Females/males (730g).

Status. Migrant breeding bird and passage visitor.

Population size. 100 pairs.

Conservation status: AMBER (Rare breeder in UK).

Lifespan: Average age in the wild unknown. Adults have an 86% year-to-year survival. First year survival is not known, but birds have a 41% chance of reaching their second year. The oldest known wild bird was almost 12 years old (ringing recovery).

Nesting: Honey Buzzards are highly secretive birds, which are invariably associated with dense woodland. They are single brooded, and the eggs are principally incubated by the female.

Number of eggs: 2

Incubation: 30-35 days

Fledging time: 40-44 days

Habitat and Distribution: Despite their scarcity, Honey Buzzards are found across England, Scotland and Wales. They do not breed in Ireland. On migration they can potentially be seen anywhere, but they breed in dense woodland. Display flights over the trees can give the best chance to see the birds, although they can be present in an area and their presence not known. 

Movements: Highly migratory, British Honey Buzzards winter in southern Europe and Africa. Huge numbers pass through migration bottlenecks, such as Gibraltar and the Bosphorus Straits. They are often one of the last species to come through on spring migrations. Birds return to Britain in spring, with most arriving in mid-May, and leave in September/October. Scandinavian birds can migrate across the UK if weather conditions are right.   

Feeding: Despite their name, Honey Buzzards so not feed on honey, but rather the grubs in nests of bees and wasps. Likewise, wasps are a far more important source of food than bees. Honey Buzzards spend much time feeding on the ground and dig up wasp nests using their beaks. They seem immune to the stings of the angry adults, although if you are lucky enough to watch one, it does seem to be getting stung. There have been records, for some very lucky people, of young Honey Buzzards attacking wasp nests in gardens. On rare occasions Honey Buzzards will take other invertebrates and even small vertebrates.

Pandion haliaetus

Considered a rare bird in the UK, the Osprey is one of the most widely distributed birds of prey in the world. It is an unusual species, not closely related to any other bird of prey. Their toes are of equal length and (with the exception of owls) Osprey is the only raptor with a reversible hind toe, almost certainly an adaptation to its fish diet. Although world-wide in distribution, Australian Ospreys are now considered to form a second species, the Eastern Osprey.

Ospreys are large birds, with long, narrow wings which can, when seen at height, be mistaken for a large gull! They are mostly brown above, and white below with a white head and distinctive brown stripe through the eye. They are invariably found near water, although in spring and autumn migrating Ospreys can be seen anywhere, whether dropping in to fish, or passing overhead.

Ospreys formerly inhabited much of Britain, but heavy persecution brought about its demise with the species becoming extinct as a breeding bird in England in 1840, and from Scotland in 1916 (although there may have been occasional breeding attempts afterwards). In 1954 Scandinavian birds, which migrate through the UK, re-colonised Scotland naturally although this re-colonisation was very slow because of contamination of the food chain by organochlorine pesticides and the activities of egg collectors. By 1976 the breeding population was still only 14 pairs. Intensive nest protection helped the species to increase its toehold and the numbers continue to increase, with several well-publicised re-introduction programmes adding to the total.

VITAL STATISTICS

Size: Average 56cm, wingspan 158cm. Females/males (1.5kg).

Status. Migrant breeding bird and passage visitor.

Population size. 200 pairs.

Conservation status: AMBER (species whose population has declined historically but made a substantial recent recovery. Rare breeder in UK).

Lifespan: Average in the wild of 9 years. Adults have an 85% year-to-year survival. Roughly 60% of juveniles will survive their first year. The oldest known wild bird was almost 21 years old (ringing recovery).

Nesting: Ospreys will not attempt to breed until their third year. Large, and often messy, twig nests are built in tall structures, usually trees, but increasingly on provided nesting platforms. A single brood consisting of 2-3 eggs is laid and incubated mostly by the female.

Number of eggs: 2-3

Incubation: 37 days

Fledging time: 53 days

Young birds must learn to hunt quickly before beginning their first migration south. Birds make their way leisurely south, stopping to hunt and becoming familiar with the areas through which they are passing. On return spring migration, due to the desire to return to territories, and not lose out to rivals, the migration is undertaken much more speedily.

Habitat and Distribution: Around the world Ospreys are found wherever there is enough water to support their requirement for large fish. They can be found in coastal areas as well as freshwater, but in UK they tend to be found near large lakes and nest in nearby trees. They are still very much Scottish birds, although a number of pairs now breed in North Wales and there is a well-known colony at Rutland Water in the Midlands. Additional re-introduction attempts are being made at a variety of locations. Osprey has a cosmopolitan distribution, being found of every continent except Antarctica.

Movements: Highly migratory, British Ospreys winter in Africa and there is much dispersal of birds from their natal sites. Scandinavian breeding birds also pass through UK on their way south and it is from these birds that Osprey naturally recolonised the country. 

Feeding: As their old name of ‘Fish Hawk’ testifies, fish is the main food of Osprey. The fish are usually grabbed from below the water surface, in a spectacular talon down, wing up strike by a hunting bird. Coarsely scaled feet help the Osprey to keep hold of its slippery prey, but birds often struggle to get airborne once more. They are able to gain height even whilst only flapping their wings above horizontal, to prevent them getting too wet. Prey is transported in the talons in flight, large items, such as large trout, will be moved in the feet to lie head towards direction of travel, to reduce wind resistance. Most fish taken will weigh between 150–300g and be about 25–35 cm in length, although fish up to 2kg can be tackled.

Although 99% of their diet consists of fish occasionally Ospreys may prey on small mammals, amphibians, other birds and small reptiles.

Buteo buteo

Buzzard, or more correctly Common Buzzard, is one of the most common and familiar of all our birds of prey. After recovering from an all-time low in numbers, they have successfully returned to much of the country where they can now be seen soaring on characteristic upward-‘V’ held wings, flapping lazily along, or sitting patiently on posts or the ground. Often when sitting on posts they appear to be contemplating their feet!

Despite its familiarity, Buzzards can be confusingly variable in plumage. Normally, Buzzards are brown above and mostly heavily-marked white below. They are stocky birds with broad wings and broad, shortish tail and this shape can be an important clue to identifying odd-coloured individuals. Almost all Buzzards, regardless of overall colour, will have distinctive ‘elbow patches’ on the underside bend of the wing. They usually also show a pale ‘necklace’ across the lower neck/upper chest. Some birds are remarkably pale, and others can mimic Rough-legged Buzzard colouration, although build and habits should help to secure a correct identification,

Buzzard is a wide-spread species, occurring across of Europe and Asia, and with many populations wintering in Africa, Middle East and India. Many sub-species have been suggested, and there is a gradual cline towards the east of Europe where Buzzard is described as Steppe Buzzard, usually more rufous in colour. Many authorities argue that Steppe Buzzard is actually a separate species.

VITAL STATISTICS

Size: Average 54cm, wingspan 120cm. Females (1kg) heavier than males (780g).

Status. Resident breeder. Passage/winter visitor.

Population size. 67,000 pairs.

Conservation status: GREEN (Least concern).

Lifespan: Average age in the wild is 12 years. Adults have a 90% year-to-year survival. Young birds have a 63% chance of reaching their third year, when they will begin breeding. The oldest known wild bird was 30 years and 5 months old (ringing recovery).

Nesting: Buzzards nest in mature trees, building a large stick nest. Although usually obvious, Buzzards are stealthy near the nest and despite having a pair nearby, which can be obvious when displaying, locating the nest is a challenge!

Number of eggs: 2-3

Incubation: 34 days

Fledging time: 44-52 days

Habitat and Distribution: Buzzards are very widely distributed, and can be found in a range of habitats, from uplands and woodland to farmland and even urban areas. They are highly adaptable and, although shy, they readily get used to being in close proximity with humans. Buzzards numbers dropped very low, principally due to persecution and a lack of favoured Rabbit prey during the height of myxomatosis and it retracted back, becoming very much a species of the ‘Celtic fringe’ of western Britain. Numbers have been recovering and with this has been seen an easterly spread back into previous habitats. It is still scarce on Isle of Man and in western Ireland. Buzzard is now one of our most common raptors (along with Kestrel and Sparrowhawk).

Movements: Across its vast world range Buzzard is highly migratory, although in the UK it is usually resident. This is related to its winter diet of small mammals and/or invertebrates, both of which become very difficult to access under snow. Britain’s oceanic mild climate and low incidence of heavy snow cover means Buzzards can stay year-round. Numbers of Scandinavian birds can be encountered, especially in the east during passage and in winter, swelling our resident population.

Feeding: Buzzards are big birds, more than capable of taking sizeable birds or animals but, more often than not, they will target smaller prey. Rabbits are an important food source, and the birds suffered during the height of myxomatosis, but they will also take smaller mammals. Compared to all other raptors, Buzzard’s digestive systems are able to deal with a poor-quality diet, and in winter when other prey is hard to find, they are able to feed mostly on earthworms, beetles and other small invertebrates. These will be hunted on foot, and you can find Buzzards regularly sitting on the ground. In favoured fields, large numbers can gather and, although somewhat tolerant of each other, disagreements will break out if individuals get too close to others. In certain areas, usually in the uplands, Buzzards may hover when searching for food.