Pernis apivorus
Pernis apivorus
The European honey buzzard has a broad distribution throughout the western Palearctic (BirdLife International, 2024). It breeds across most of Europe, although in a more scattered manner in the British Isles and the Mediterranean region (Keller et al., 2020). In Spain, it occupies the northern third of the peninsula and the Central System, and is absent from the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Ceuta and Melilla. It establishes its breeding areas in well-forested mountain regions, although due to its migratory nature many records cannot be confirmed as belonging to breeding individuals (Purroy in SEO/BirdLife, 2022).
In the Community of Madrid, it breeds at a few points in the mountain range, particularly in its northernmost sector and around the Lozoya Valley. It is a forest bird that inhabits wooded areas —both coniferous and deciduous or mixed forests— at elevations above 1,000 metres (Díaz et al., 1994).
Within the national park, it has only been detected in the Lozoya River valley. At least one breeding pair is known to occur in this part of the protected area.
The European honey buzzard requires deciduous forests with abundant clearings and associated grasslands. It prefers beech and oak forests and other northern woodland types, but it also inhabits sweet chestnut stands, birch formations, Scots pine, black pine, holm oak, cork oak, and riparian woodlands (Prieta in Martí and Del Moral, 2003; Palomino and Valls, 2011). For breeding, it needs mature trees in which to place its nests, as well as proximity to wasp colonies, given that it is an entomophagous species (Purroy and Purroy, 2016).
In the national park, it is associated with Scots pine forests, where it builds its nests.
Globally, it is classified as Least Concern (LC; 2021). In Europe it would also fall under the same category (LC; 2021). In Spain, it is considered Near Threatened in the 2021 Red List.
The Catalogue of Threatened Species of the Community of Madrid (1992) lists the species under the regional threat category “Of Special Interest”.
BirdLife International 2024. IUCN Red List for birds. https://datazone.birdlife.org.
Díaz, M., Martí, R., Gómez-Manzaneque, Á. y Sánchez, A. 1994. Atlas de las aves nidificantes en Madrid. Agencia de Medio Ambiente y SEO/BirdLife. Madrid.
Keller, V., Herrando, S., Voříšek, P., Franch, M., Kipson, M., Milanesi, P., Martí, D., Antón, M., Klvaňová, A., Kalyakin, M. V. Bauer, H. Gr y Foppen, R. P. B. 2020. European Breeding Bird Atlas 2: Distribution, Abundance and Change. European Birds Census Council y Lynx Edicions. Barcelona.
Madroño, A., González, G. G. y Atienza, J. C. (eds.). 2004. Libro rojo de las aves de España. Dirección General de la Biodiversidad – SEO/BirdLife. Madrid.
Martí, R. y Del Moral, J. C. (eds.). 2003. Atlas de las aves reproductoras de España. SEO/BirdLife-Ministerio de Medio Ambiente. Madrid.
Palomino, D. y Valls, J. 2011. Las rapaces forestales en España. Población reproductora en 2009-2010 y método de censo. SEO/BirdLife. Madrid.
Purroy, J. y Purroy, F. J. 2016. Abejero europeo–Pernis apivorus. En Salvador, A. y Morales, M. B. (eds.): Enciclopedia Virtual de los Vertebrados Españoles. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales. Madrid.
SEO/BirdLife (Molina, B., Nebreda, A., Muñoz, A. R., Seoane, J., Real, R., Bustamante, J. y Del Moral, J. C., eds.). 2022. III Atlas de las aves en época de reproducción en España. SEO/BirdLife. Madrid.