Large raptor with a long tail and long wings with dark, fingered tips. Sexes similar, but female larger than male.
Adults: Slate grey above with rufous shoulder patches showing between carpal joint and body in flight. Head, face rufous. Underparts, rufous densely spotted white. Tail, grey with several broad dark bands and a dark tip. Bill, black. Legs and cere, yellow.
Juveniles: Similar to adults but back brown with buff edges to feathers and a pale rump. Underparts, pale chestnut.
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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