honey buzzard

American  

noun

1. a long-tailed Old World hawk, Pernis apivorus, that feeds on the larvae of bees as well as on small rodents, reptiles, and insects.

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honey buzzard British  

noun

1. a common European bird of prey, Pernis apivorus, having broad wings and a typically dull brown plumage with white-streaked underparts: family Accipitridae (hawks, buzzards, etc). It feeds on grubs and honey from bees' nests

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Etymology

Origin of honey buzzard

First recorded in 1665–75

Example Sentences

Not only had the honey buzzard never returned to nest on the beeches of the Hanger since 1780, but it had continued to decrease everywhere in England and was now extinct.

From Project Gutenberg