Crested honey buzzard
The crested honey buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus), also known as the Oriental honey buzzard, is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Its size ranges from 57 to 60 centimetres (22 to 24 in). The name is derived from its diet, which consists mainly of the larvae of bees and wasps, extracted from honeycombs. It has several adaptations for this diet, including an elongated head for foraging on underground nests and a groove in the tongue for feeding on honey. A mass of short, dense feathers on the head and neck protect against stinging attacks by social wasps. The crested honey buzzard is a year-round resident in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Some birds migrate to Siberia and Japan during the summer for breeding. This crested honey buzzard was photographed in Mudumalai National Park, India.Photograph credit: Timothy A. Gonsalves