每年9月，在日本繁殖的東方蜂鷹會乘著陸地熱氣流飛上高空，藉著強勁的東北季風，跨海到中國，接著向南遷徙，在馬來半島、菲律賓或是婆羅洲等地度冬。隔年春季，牠們大舉北返，並選擇熱氣流較多的陸地，繞道朝鮮半島，穿越對馬海峽，回到日本繁殖。
不過，過去二十年內，越來越常在中亞看到少數東方蜂鷹族群過境，並飛往印度和阿拉伯半島度冬。例如在2010年後，就發現有越來越多東方蜂鷹留在以色列越冬，同一時期還有以前沒紀錄過的小蜜蜂（Apis florea）開始擴散至阿拉伯半島，這讓研究員推測東方蜂鷹是追著牠的主食——蜜蜂而來。
東方蜂鷹喜歡吃的不只是蜜蜂，還有虎頭蜂。牠們的目標並非成蟲，而是幼蟲或蛹。當牠們找到蜂巢，展開攻擊之際，蜂群也會因憤怒而群起攻擊。東方蜂鷹的頭部滿布高密度、細小且堅硬的羽毛，能降低被蜂群攻擊造成的傷害。蜂鷹的頭部比其他猛禽小，像一隻巨型鴿子，但也正因為頭部小，適合鑽進蜂巢中覓食。
10月抵達印尼爪哇度冬的東方蜂鷹，正巧接上巨型蜂（Apis dorsata dorsata）遷徙繁殖季。攻擊並取走部分蜂巢後，東方蜂鷹習慣飛到附近樹上進食。經驗老道的東方蜂鷹會往人多的地區飛行，轉移被憤怒蜜蜂攻擊的風險，這也讓10-11月成為爪哇人被蜜蜂攻擊的高風險季節。
台灣的東方蜂鷹有兩大族群：島內繁殖留鳥和遷徙族群，近年來甚至與養蜂場產生一套共生關係。牠們「埋伏」於蜂場周圍的樹上，等待蜂農工作完離開後，就會在蜂場裡「散步」，撿拾養蜂人定期整理蜂巢丟棄的「贅巢」為食。
延伸閱讀
- 九九蜂鷹（紀錄片）
- 分你一點~蜂農與蜂鷹的互助共生（我們的島第1210集 2023-06-26）
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