This honey-buzzard occurs on the main Philippine islands, excluding Palawan. In 2004 on Panay, observers recorded a bird flying above primary-forest canopy and performing a wing-quivering display flight.
Compared with Barred Honey-buzzard, Steere’s Honey-buzzard has a longer crest, lighter brown upperparts, finer streaks on a paler neck, and weaker chestnut barring below. Its underwing and tail bands are also paler and less sharply marked.
In April 2004, a bird was watched above primary forest at about 750 m on Panay. It soared over the canopy, climbed in steps, quivered its fully extended wings above its back, then swooped down; the sequence was repeated three times. The authors considered a courtship or territorial function possible but unconfirmed.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.