We satellite-tracked the migration of two adult and one young Honey-buzzards Pernis apivorus between the Japanese breeding ground and Southeast Asia. In autumn migration, the two adults (A1 and A2) migrated across the East China Sea, then through China, the Indochina and Malay Peninsula, and Sumatra. After Sumatra, A1 arrived in Java for the winter, while A2 moved up through Borneo and reached Mindanao, the Philippines. The young honey-buzzard moved along the coast of the South China Sea to reach the Malay Peninsula for the winter. In spring migration, A1 went up the Malay Peninsula, and then took a route different from its autumn route, moving up inland China, down to North and South Korea, and arrived at the previous breeding site in Japan. A2 followed the autumn route and reached a stopover site in Cambodia. After an undetermined radio silence, it was rediscovered back at its breeding area in Japan. The young stayed at the wintering site, making no apparent effort to get back to the breeding area. The sample size is limited, but these results suggest that the migration of Honey-buzzards is remarkably convoluted and varies considerably with bird age and season.
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1 November 2005
Migration of Honey-buzzards Pernis apivorus based on satellite tracking
Hiroyoshi HIGUCHI,
Hau-Jie SHIU,
Hiroshi NAKAMURA,
Akitake UEMATSU,
Kimihiro KUNO,
Motoko SAEKI,
Masanobu HOTTA,
Ken-Ichi TOKITA,
Emiko MORIYA,
Emiko MORISHITA,
Masayuki TAMURA
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Honey-buzzard
migration
Pernis apivorus
Pernis ptilorhyncus
Satellite-tracking