Nest
A large, compact structure, composed of sticks and twigs, lined with green leaves, usually high in a leafy tree. Occasionally uses an adandoned nest of another species.
Eggs (Guide)
1 or 2; white tinged with blue, with red-brown streaks and blotches; rounded-oval; about 55 x 44 mm. Incubation: about 30 - 35 days; mostly by female.
Young
Semi-altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in about 50 days, usually only one survives.
Subspecies
Hieraaetus morphnoides (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides) and Pygmy Eagle (Hieraaetus weiskei) following Bunce et al. (2005) and Lerner and Mindell (2005).
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
weiskei (Reichenow, 1900) - New Guinea. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Pygmy Eagle (Hieraaetus weiskei).
morphnoides (Gould, 1841) - Australia.
Similar Species
Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus) which has a longer tail and a different underwing pattern, juvenile Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) which has a slightly different underwing pattern, and the dark morph with Red Goshawk (Erythrotriorchis radiatus).
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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BirdLife International Species Factsheet