Oriental honey buzzard seen feasting on honeycomb at Marsiling Park, unfazed by bees

During a routine trip to Marsiling Park, a wildlife photographer was able to witness a bird of prey consuming what might seem like some unusual fare.

Ang Choon Hee captured shots of an oriental honey buzzard feasting not on fish, fellow birds or insects, but a honeycomb.

Honeycomb guzzler

Ang told Mothership he visited the park on Dec. 6 for his "regular check" on some striated heron nestlings.

He then noticed the honey buzzard settling on a tree nearby and immediately followed to observe further.

"Due to the dense foliage, I couldn’t quite figure out what was happening. I rushed to find a new vantage point. And then, I saw the honey buzzard was feeding on a honeycomb!"

Here it is munching away, seemingly unfazed by the bees swarming around.

The buzzard spent a good 10 minutes gorging on the entire honeycomb.

Such behaviour, Ang said, is the first he's seen from a honey buzzard, even though he has been photographing wildlife for over 10 years.

"A truly exhilarating experience," Ang exclaimed.

Protected against stings

While the honey buzzard might nom on the honeycomb, it does not actually consume the honey.

Instead, the bird's main diet consists of the larvae of bees and wasps.

It is thus considered a specialist feeder. However, it occasionally feeds on other small prey such as insects, reptiles and frogs.

The species is well protected against bee and wasp stings; scale-like feathers on its head and neck prevent stings from reaching the skin.

One study also noted that the feathers have a "unique filamentous substance" that might serve as a chemical defence mechanism against stinging insects.

Top photo courtesy of Ang Choon Hee