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ANALYSIS OF THE SPATIAL MIGRATION PATTERNS
OF ADULT HONEY BUZZARDS (Pernis apivorus)
DURING SPRING AND AUTUMN
IN THE CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN

Nicolantonio Agostini and Michele Panuccio

ABSTRACT

Agostini N., Panuccio M. Analysis of the spatial migration patterns of adult Honey Buzzards
(Pernis apivorus) during spring and autumn in the Central Mediterranean. Ring 27, 2: 215-220.
In this paper we analyse the spatial migration patterns and the water crossing tendency of
adult Honey Buzzards during spring and autumn migration in the Central Mediterranean re-
gion. In this area, during spring, these long-distance migrants wintering in western-central
Equatorial Africa, concentrate crossing the sea between Africa and Europe through the
Channel of Sicily, about 150 km wide, at least part of them via the islands of Pantelleria and
Marettimo. When they reach western Sicily most of them fly east, along the mountain chain
of northern Sicily, towards the Strait of Messina. Nevertheless, thousands of birds use a more
direct route to reach the continental mainland undertaking the crossing of the Tyrrhenian
Sea via Ustica and the Lipari Islands. During autumn the migration of adult Honey Buzzards
is less consistent. They tend to follow the Italian Peninsula and northern Sicily reaching Af-
rica through the Channel of Sicily while very few cross the Tyrrhenian Sea. On the contrary,
during their first migration, large numbers of juveniles, moving about two weeks later than
adults, cross the Central Mediterranean region on a broader front presumably along NE-SW
innate axis. It is supposed that larger numbers of adult Honey Buzzards choose the central
Mediterranean route during spring migration to reach earlier their breeding areas in east-
central Europe. During post-reproductive movements most of them would circumfly the
Mediterranean Sea crossing at the Strait of Gibraltar and at the Bosporus. In this picture the
discovery of more direct routes between breeding and wintering areas made by juvenile birds
during their first migration may have the adaptive value.

Dr. N. Agostini (corresponding author), Via Carlo Alberto 4, 89046 Marina di Gioiosa
Jonica (RC), Italy, E-mail: nicolantonioa@tiscalinet.it; M. Panuccio, Via Mario Fioretti 18,
00152 Roma, Italy;

Key words: migration, Honey Buzzard, Pernis apivorus, Central Mediterranean

The western Honey Buzzard is a long-distance migrant wintering in west-central
Equatorial Africa. During spring migration tens of thousands of birds reach their
breeding grounds in Europe. Although this species mostly uses soaring and gliding