Food
Dead fish and offal in coastal regions, small mammals, birds, lizards, carrion, insects and in many areas rabbits.
Voice
A shrill whistling call, the first note drawn-out, descending 'peee-arrgh' followed by a burst of short, sharp, harsh, upward notes, 'ka-ke-ki-ki'. Harsh 'eeargh' at the nest. A loud 'kaairr' in alarm.
Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus) [XC490306]
by Christopher Watson from Mannum Waterfalls Lower Carpark (near Caloote), Mid Murray Council, South Australia, Australia (call)
Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus) [XC842793]
by id from Fogg Dam, Litchfield Municipality, Northern Territory, Australia (call)
Breeding Season (Guide)
July - January in the south, March - October in the north, or at anytime after rain.
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Nest
Large, rather flat, composed of sticks and lined with leaves, placed on the horizontal branch of a tall tree. Occasionally an old nest of another bird is used.
Eggs (Guide)
2 or 3; pale white-blue, roughly textured, marked with red-brown blotches; oval; about 57 x 44 mm. Incubation: by female.
Young
Semi-altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in about 42 days.
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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