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.

Identification

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

Genus: Pernis; Family: Accipitridae; Order: Accipitriformes.

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

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Behavior

Migration pattern: Resident species.

Conservation

Population trend: declining.

Population trend
declining

Photos

Distribution

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