Uncommon, inconspicuous raptor with a fairly small bill.
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
Adult has a pale head and reddish underparts with black streaks on neck. Juvenile has a more reddish head with less streaking. In flight, tail has obvious square corners with a dark band at the base. Occurs singly or in pairs. At a distance, and particularly when heavily worn, take care to identify juvenile birds from Black Kite, which has more uniformly patterned plumage.
Behavior
Sails over forest woodland habitats just above the tree canopy, typically with little wing movement.
Gallery