4. Discussion
This study analysed the trophic strategy of an unusual forest
insect-eating medium-sized raptor specialised in consuming social
hymenopterans. We studied 4611 prey items obtained in 4 years in a total
of 24 honey-buzzard´s nests. Our results suggest that the
honey-buzzard´s diet is the adaptive result of the conflict between
being an insect-eating median-sized migratory nidicolous raptor and
collecting enough number of morsels for the growth of their nestlings,
supporting the prey size and ingestion rate hypotheses.