Rare in coastal and sub-coastal in south-eastern Australia and south-western Western Australia, but a regular breeding migrant, arriving about September and departing about April. Sedentary and partially migratory.
Habitat
Heathlands, woodlands, forests, tropical and subtropical rainforest, timbered watercourses, hills and gorges.
Nest
A substantial structure of sticks, lined with green leaves, usually placed on a horizontal limb 15 - 20 meters from the ground. The nest may be re-used in sub-sequent seasons.
Eggs (Guide)
2 or 3; coarse-grained, off-white boldly spotted and blotched with red-brown, purple-red or pale purple-grey; rounded-oval to oval; about 53 x 38 mm. Incubation: 35 - 42 days; mainly by female.
Young
Semi-altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in 56 - 70 days.
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Similar Species
Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
Has a forked tail, and dark underwings.
Black-breasted Buzzard (Hamirostra melanosternon)
Immatures. Has a shorter tail and larger, rufus, underwing secondary coverts and black fingers in the primaries which lack the white barring.
Red Goshawk (Erythrotriorchis radiatus)
Has broader wings, and less prominent primary fingers.
Compare Images
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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