On this “Buzzards Day”, we celebrate the return of buzzards from winter migration and, although not native to the United States, we celebrate pest controlling honey buzzards as well.

Turkey vultures, aka turkey buzzards, have a strange self-defense strategy. To ward off predators, they are capable of projectile vomiting their last meal up to 10 feet…gross…but effective. Do not startle these birds on their return flight from migration!! Check out this YouTube video to learn more about other gross habits of turkey vultures:

Despite their name, honey buzzards do not eat honey. Instead, these birds consume wasps, hornets, and bees. Talk about an extreme diet! In fact, honey buzzards are the only known natural predator of invasive yellow-legged hornets, Vespa velutina nigrithorax. A newly published study found that European Honey Buzzards, Pernis apivorus, play a major role in controlling hornet populations as these birds were responsible for destroying 94% of subterranean hornet nests and 62% of nests found in trees. Check out this YouTube video showing their strange dietary habits:

Sources:

JA Martin-Avila, LM Diaz-Aranda, JM Fernandez-Pereira, S Rebollo. The European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus) as an ally for the control of the invasive yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax). Pest Management Science. 81(4): 2237-2247, 2025.

Videos: YouTube

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Categories: Diet and Exercise, Environment, Extreme Animals, Nature's Solutions

Tags: animals, buzzard, Hornet, invasive species, migration, pest, science, vulture