From Opus

Photo by joe cockram
Kakadu National Park, Australia, July 2006

Haliastur sphenurus

[edit] Identification

50–60 cm

• Pale buff head, breast and tail
• Brown wings
• Black flight feathers
• Bone-coloured legs and feet
  

'Females are larger and heavier than males Immature birds are a heavily-streaked rufous-brown with prominent pale wing spots

[edit] Distribution

Australasia. Breeds in eastern New Guinea, New Caledonia and widely distributed in Australia where it occurs virtually throughout the mainland. Resident over most of range but nomadic in parts of Australia. Vagrants recorded on Tasmania and King Island.

Photo by RMD
Australia

[edit] Taxonomy

Monotypic^[1]

[edit] Habitat

Open woodland, grassland with scattered trees, lakesides, swamps and riverine woodland.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

The diet includes small mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, crustaceans, insects and carrion.

[edit] Breeding

The bulky platform stick nest is placed in a tall tree. It is lined with green leaves. The clutch consists of 2–3 bluish-white eggs, (may be covered with reddish-brown blotches); incubation lasts for 35–40 days. The young fledge after 44–54 days.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Wikipedia

• List of references

[edit] External Links

• View more images of this species on the ABID