Usually only one chick per nest survives to fledge each season.
At a glance
Sounds
Range map
Range map
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
A large dark raptor. In flight it shows a very short stubby tail, and has large pale wing panels. Holds wings up high in a slight V-shape while soaring.
Behavior
Causes of population declines in raptor species of the arid and semi-arid regions of Australia include broad-scale landscape changes due to extensive pastoralism and clearing of native vegetation; overgrazing by stock, feral animals and increased kangaroo populations; altered fire regimes; the introduction of destructive feral predators such as the house cat (Felis catus) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes); and the cessation of traditional Aboriginal hunting and land management practices. Climate change leading to increased periods of drought in the arid and semi-arid areas of Australia is a concern for the survival of many raptors species, particularly those with specialist diets dependent on a limited array of prey species. The black-breasted buzzard has a varied diet including carrion that may afford it some resilience in the face of intense drought when carcasses of perished large mammals become abundant.
Gallery