Scientific name: Pernis apivorus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Bird group: Birds-of-prey
Field characters. Length 52-60 cm; wingspan 135-150 cm. Differs in flight from Common Buzzard in longer and narrower wings, longer tail and neck, and smaller head; underside of tail with three broad, dark bands: two close to the body and one broad terminal band; never hovers. Plumage variable, with upperparts dark brown and underparts bright and sharply patterned dark brown, sometimes completely brown or white; head ash-grey. Underside of wing with three dark bands, as tail. Eyes yellow, bill and cere black. Juvenile with very variable plumage; dark morph often with creamy patches on head; body and underwing-coverts dark brown, underwing with black ends to primaries and secondaries, and undertail with four narrow, evenly distributed bands; other morphs paler.
Voice. Male produces trisyllabic, melancholic whistle.
Distribution. Fairly rare summer visitor in Europe.
Habitat. In the breeding season, found in open woodland where it can search the ground and dig for prey.
Food. Mainly feeds on larvae, pupae and adults of social insects such as wasps, hornets, bumble-bees, but also takes other insects, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, nestlings and eggs of birds. Usually, it follows insects to their nests which are then dug out, but it may also take insects in flight.
Eggs. Yellowish white ground colour almost completely obscured by deep purple red/brown-red clouds, spots and smears. Texture fine granular, not glossy. Shape short subelliptical/elliptical (seldom)/subelliptical (rare). Size 52 x 41 mm (47-58 x 39-44), weight 45 g (40-55).