Wildlife

Wild Honey Buzzard Welfare in Old Woodland

Honey buzzards are secretive summer visitors that specialise in raiding wasp nests. Their welfare depends on old deciduous woodland with abundant wasp and bee prey.

Key Facts

Honey buzzards dig out wasp nests with their feet to eat larvae
Their facial feathers are specially adapted to resist wasp stings
Fewer than 100 pairs breed in Britain in most years - primarily in English woodland
Their secretive nature makes welfare monitoring particularly challenging

Welfare Considerations

Honey buzzard welfare requires large areas of mature deciduous woodland with minimal disturbance. They are highly sensitive to human presence near nest sites. Woodland management should avoid clearfelling adjacent to known nest areas.

What You Can Do

Submit honey buzzard sightings to county bird recorders with grid reference
Support old woodland conservation through Woodland Trust
Never share precise nest locations publicly to prevent disturbance