Black Honey-buzzard
Henicopernis infuscatus
A distinctive raptor confined to New Britain. Entirely blackish-brown with indistinct dark markings and a beady pale eye. In flight appears long-tailed and broad-winged, with well-pronounced “fingers” on the outer wing; from below, note bold white bars on the tail, outermost wing feathers, and trailing edge of the wings. Juveniles resemble adults. Found in forest from lowlands to hills. Unmistakable in its limited range, where no other similar raptors occur. Call consists of a series of upslurred whistles, rapidly gaining in pace.
Identification
The black honey buzzard is a dark grey-brown colour with pale silvery bars on the wings and tail. When perched, the wing and tail bars are clearly visible. In flight, the wing bars are notable and the wing shape is distinctive, with a narrow base and broad tips, and bulging outer primaries. Juvenile markings are unknown. Its height ranges 48–52 cm (19–20 in), and wingspan ranges 110–115 cm (43–45 in).<p>It was first identified and catalogued among European natural historians by James Sligo Jameson in 1877.
Taxonomy
The black honey buzzard belongs within the subfamily Perninae, in the family Accipitridae. The family Acipitridae contains two subfamilies of kites: Elaninae and Perninae. Birds within Perninae lack the bony eye shield that characterizes those in Elaninae, and are mainly found in the tropics where they are specialized to feed on insects, bee and wasp larvae.<p>The genus Henicopernis contains only two species: The black honey buzzard and the long-tailed honey buzzard (Henicopernis longicauda). The Australo-Papuan region, which encompasses Australia and Papua New Guinea, has many endemic species since the region was isolated from other land masses for millions of years. These include three closely related genera of the family Accipitridae: Henicopernis, Hamirostra and Lophoictinia.
- Scientific name
- Henicopernis infuscatus
- Authority
- Gurney, JH Sr, 1882
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Genus
- Henicopernis
Range and habitat
The black honey buzzard occurs on the island of New Britain, part of the Bismarck archipelago in Papua New Guinea. Its habitat consists of primary rainforest, usually in hilly areas. Its altitudinal range extends up to 1,300 m (4,300 ft). The population is estimated to be between 6000 and 15 000 mature individuals.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
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