New Guinea, western Papuan Is, islands in Geelvink Bay and Aru Is, and north-eastern Australia in northern and eastern Queensland (Cape York Peninsula south to R Staaten and Paluma Range).
Nest
A platform of sticks and twigs, usually on a horizontal fork up to 20 m above the ground.
Eggs (Guide)
1, rarely 2; pure white; ellipsoidal; 45 - 55 x 30 - 35 mm. Incubation: probably about 40 days; probably by both sexes.
Young
Semi-altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in about 43 - 44 days. Fed by both parents.
Subspecies
Considerable geographical variation in size in New Guinea region, but chequerboard pattern of distribution of large and small birds makes recognition of subspecies impractical. Although two subspecies recognized in Australia by some recent authors, with a larger, paler form on Cape York Peninsula (rogersi) and a smaller, darker form in coastal north-eastern Queensland south of Cooktown (baileyi), Cape York birds appear indistinguishable from those of southern New Guinea and some characters of baileyi can be matched by certain New Guinea populations.
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
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BirdLife International Species Factsheet