340 HONEY-BUZZARD. 



Hoiiey-Buzzard has occurred several times on migration, and probably 

 in the Orkneys. To Ireland it is a rare visitor, chiefly in autumn. 



In Norway the Honey-Buzzard does not breed above the south- 

 eastern districts ; but in Sweden, Finland and Russia it extends up 

 to, and even a little beyond, the Arctic circle. Large numbers pass 

 over Heligoland. Southward, this species is distributed throughout 

 Europe during the summer, to Bulgaria, Italy as far as the Adriatic, 

 the Pyrenees, and the mountain forests of Northern Spain ; but 

 in the rest of the Peninsula, and, in fact, throughout the Mediter- 

 ranean basin, it is principally known on passage. Vast flocks have 

 been observed traversing the Straits of Gibraltar from Morocco 

 early in [May and repassing in September ; while the species is a 

 regular migrant in Tunisia, less frequent in Egypt, passes by Sinai, 

 and crosses the Bosphorus to and from Asia Minor. Eastward 

 it can be traced through Turkestan to Eastern Siberia, where it 

 becomes rare, as it is also in China and Japan. In the Indian region 

 its representative is the Crested Honey-Buzzard, P. ptilorhyiichiis. 

 Our Honey-Buzzard visits South Africa and Madagascar in winter. 



The nest, usually placed upon the remains of the former abode of 

 some other large bird, and often in the main fork of an oak or a 

 beech, is well lined — and sometimes sheltered — with fresh twigs 

 and leaves of the latter. The round and glossy eggs, generally 2, 

 sometimes 3, and exceptionally 4 in number, are laid in June, 

 and are creamy-white, blotched and often deeply suffused with rich 

 brown or red : measurements i'9 by 17 in. Both male and female 

 incubate, the sitting bird being regularly fed by the other. Wasps, 

 wild bees and their larvae form the principal food of this species in 

 summer, but other insects are also eaten, as are, occasionally, birds, 

 mice and other small mammals, slugs, worms and caterpillars. 

 Owing to the thickness of the foliage at the time of its visits, and 

 the fact that its prey is chiefly obtained upon the ground, this species 

 is by no means conspicuous, except during migration. It runs with 

 ease and rapidity. The cry, seldom uttered except by the young, 

 is a shrill kee. 



The adult male has the head ashy-grey; upper parts brown; three or 

 four distinct blackish bars on the tail ; under parts white, barred and 

 spotted with brown on the breast. The female is slightly larger, 

 and the grey on the head is usually limited to the lores. Length 

 from 22 to 25 in., wing 17-18 in. The young bird has a whitish 

 head and pale edges to the upper feathers ; the under parts being 

 white streaked with brown : a dark brown form, however, occurs, 

 while varieties are not rare. 



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