The black honey-buzzard (Henicopernis infuscatus), also commonly known as the New Britain Honey-Buzzard, is a large raptor of the family Accipitridae. Standing at around tall, the adult black honey-buzzard has a dark head and body, with striking white bands on its tail and flight feathers. When in flight, the buzzard can be recognized by its long wings and noticeably large secondary feathers. It is thought to be sedentary, with a range limited to the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea, where it is endemic. Due to its remote habitat and tendency to remain in densely forested areas, there is currently much to learn about this striking species. Description The black honey-buzzard is a dark grey-brown colour with pale silvery bars on the wings and tail. When perched, the wing and tail bars are clearly visible. In flight, the wing bars are notable and the wing shape is distinctive, with a narrow base and broad tips, and bulging outer primaries. Juvenile markings are unknown. Its height ranges , and wingspan ranges . It was first identified and catalogued in European natural historians by James Sligo Jameson in 1877. Taxonomy The black honey-buzzard belongs within the subfamily Perninae, in the family Accipitridae. The family Acipitridae contains two subfamilies of kites: Elaninae and Perninae. Birds within Perninae lack the bony eye shield that characterizes those in Elaninae, and are mainly found in the tropics where they are specialized to feed on insects, bee and wasp larvae. The genus Henicopernis contains only two species: The black honey-buzzard and the long-tailed honey-buzzard (Henicopernis longicauda). The Australo-Papuan region, which encompasses Australia and Papua New Guinea, has many endemic species since the region was isolated from other land masses for millions of years. These include three closely related genera of the family Accipitridae: Henicopernis, Hamirostra and Lophoictinia. Habitat and distribution The black honey-buzzard occurs on the island of New Britain, part of the Bismarck archipelago in Papua New Guinea. Its habitat consists of primary rainforest, usually in hilly areas. Its altitudinal range extends up to . The population is estimated to be between 6000 and 15 000 mature individuals. Behaviour Vocalizations Its vocalizations consist of 12 piping notes, accelerating and shortening over about three seconds. Diet The diet is largely unknown, but it is assumed that it is similar to that of the long-tailed honey-buzzard, which typically feeds on arthropods, lizards, birds and birds’ eggs.