Honey Buzzard

Class: Birds

Order: Falconiformes

Family: Accipitridae

Weight: 360-1050 g

Height: About 40 cm

Body length: 60 cm

Color: The upper part of the male’s body is dark gray, while the female is dark brown. The lower part can be either light or brown with brown speckles (more spotted in females). Legs are yellow, and the throat is light-colored.

Age of sexual maturity: Females reach sexual maturity at 11-12 months, males usually at 2 years.

Gestation period: 35-42 days

Lifespan: Up to 30 years

Habitat: Honey buzzards are found throughout most of Europe and western Asia, extending east to the Altai Mountains. They are most common in the middle and southern taiga. They winter in the tropical forests of Africa.

Diet: Wasps

Did you know?

• The honey buzzard’s call is clear and somewhat plaintive, resembling a whistle.
• A honey buzzard can eat about a thousand larvae in a day, typically destroying around five nests daily, which is usually enough for their daily diet.
• Honey buzzards are the only birds that consume venomous hornets.