Sulawesi Honey-buzzard

Pernis celebensis

A small-headed, long-tailed raptor from Sulawesi and the Banggai Islands. Adult shows a dark crested head, a pale throat with dark central stripe, a rufous breast with bold streaking, and a barred belly. Immatures are paler with more tail bars. In flight, note long-winged appearance, uneven tail barring, small-headed appearance, and heavily barred body and underwings. Found in forest and forest edge in lowlands and mountains. Smaller-headed, smaller-billed, and longer-winged than the almost identically-patterned Sulawesi Hawk-Eagle. The honey-buzzard also differs in its unfeathered thighs and its unevenly barred tail. Gives a single plaintive “kew” note.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Pernis celebensis
Authority
Wallace, 1868
Order
Accipitriformes
Family
Accipitridae
Genus
Pernis

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
declining

Photos

Distribution

Start Your Bird Watching Journey

Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.