Memorandum to: The Director of Birds Australia

From: Birds Australia Rarities Committee (BARC)

Date: 18^th January 2007

Voting Members: Mike Carter Andrew Silcocks

David James Dion Hobcroft

John Hatch Paul Andrew

Tony Palliser Danny Rogers

cc.

Submission No 477: Oriental Honey-buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus, Kakadu National Park, NT, 5th May 2005. Submitted by: Phil Gregory.

Verdict: Accepted

This submission concerns the remarkable sighting of an Oriental Honey-buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus on top of the escarpment at Waterfall Creek, Kakadu National Park, NT on the 5^th May 2005. The bird was seen by a number of observers and photographs were provided to the committee to support the claim.

The dark brown plumage above, with whitish primary shafts combined with the comparatively medium size (when compare to Wedge-tailed Eagle for example) and the black & white underwings quickly ruled out local species such as: Little Eagle, Red Goshawk, Square-tailed Kite and Swamp Harrier. The wing shape and small head seen on the day was confirmed by the photographs and consultation with the literature and other experts confirmed the identification.

As stated by the observer the ‘chequered’ wing pattern is typical of many Honey-buzzards and the small head, long-tail, broad wings and up-turned primary tips establish the identity as a Honey-buzzard fairly quickly. Of the three species of Honey-buzzard currently recognized, two occur in Southeast Asia (P. ptilorhynchus and P. celebensis). P. celebensis is structurally different. Species from other parts of the world (for the most part), also differ structurally and of course, vagrancy to the Northern Territory is much less likely.

Committee members agreed with this conclusion and accepted this individual to the specific level of P. ptilorhynchus the first record for ‘mainland’ Australia to be considered by BARC. There has, however, been a previous occurrence. An emaciated bird found at Leinster, WA, subsequently died and is now a specimen in the WA Museum (p. 498, Johnstone & Storr 2004). Also, there is one accepted record and other claims from Christmas Island.

References and selected Bibliography:

• Beehler, B.M., Pratt, T.K. & Zimmerman, D.A. (1986), Birds of New Guinea, Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
• Cramp, S. 1980. Handbook of the Birds of Europe the Middle East & North Africa. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Volume 2 Hawks to Bustards. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
• Coates, B.J. (1985), The Birds of Papua New Guinea, Vol. 1, Non-Passerines, Dove, Alderley, Queensland.
• Del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. (Eds). 1994. Handbook of the Birds of the World, Volume 2: New World Vultures to Guineafowl. Lynx Editions, Barcelona.
• Ferguson-Lees, J. & Christie, D.A. 2001. Raptors of the world. Christopher Helm, London.
• Gamauf, A., Preleunthner, M. & Winkler, H. 1998. Mimicry in South East Asian birds of prey: Barred Honey Buzzard (Pernis celebensis) and Hawk Eagles (Spizaetus spp.) Poster presented at 22^nd International Ornithological Congress, 16-22 August 1998 Durban, South Africa.
• Johnstone, R.E. & Storr, G.M. (2004), Handbook of Western Australian Birds, Vol. 2 – Passerines (Blue-winged Pitta to Goldfinch), Western Australian Museum, Perth.

Tony Palliser

Chairman, Birds Australia Rarities Committee