Philippine Honey-buzzard
Pernis steerei
A fairly large raptor of lowland and montane forest. Brown above with a heavily streaked chest, a barred belly, a fairly long flattened crest coming from the back of the head, and piercing golden eyes. In flight, note barred, bulging wings and fairly long barred tail with a broad terminal band. Juveniles are much paler. Remarkably similar to Philippine Hawk-Eagle, but in flight Philippine Honey-buzzard has a narrow head which projects more from the wings. Voice consists of a drawn-out, two-noted “weeeeeeee lew” repeated at intervals.
Identification
The body ranges from 52.5 cm to 55.3 cm in males and 52 cm to 59 cm in females; the wingspan is 2.1 times total length.<p>From above, the tail and broad rounded wings appear umber mingled with white; from below, both are pale and dark-banded, including a broad terminal band on the tail. The chest, belly and head are white and streaked, or pale to cream in juveniles. A dark brown crest extends from the back of the head and distinguishes P. steerei from P. celebensis, alongside paler plumage on the head and back. Eyes sport a bright golden iris in adults and a brown line running through from the beak to the back of the head. Raptorial dark grey beak and yellow legs, with claws averaging 20 to 22 cm. As expected from its short tarsus, narrow bill and square-cut tail, three indicators of foraging strategy, P. steerei is either seen perched upright on large branches or soaring.<p>Subspecies P. s. winkleri displays more typical raptorial sexual dimorphism than nominate P. s. steerei, as well as a juvenile-like homogenous brown plumage.
Taxonomy
P. steerei is one of four species of honey-buzzards in Pernis. The common name of the genus likely stems from their diet of bee and wasp larvae.<p>Originally considered a subspecies of Pernis celebensis, the Philippine honey-buzzard was recently recognised as its own species in light of mitochondrial DNA evidence showing 3.3% genetic distance between the two birds. A split had been proposed even earlier, as authors noted the stark differences in plumage and geographic isolation between the barred and Philippine honey-buzzards. A previous subspecies of P. celebensis, P. c. winkleri, was simultaneously recognised as belonging under P. steerei alongside the nominal P. s. steerei.<p>A very short time saw P. steerei labelled Steere's honey-buzzard before Gamauf & Haring's split was popularised and, with it, the name Philippine honey-buzzard.
- Scientific name
- Pernis steerei
- Authority
- Sclater, WL, 1919
- 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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