Animalia Life

Hamirostra melanosternon
SUBFAMILY
Accipitrinae
TAXONOMY
Buteo melanosternon Gould, 1841, inland New South Wales. Monotypic.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Black-breasted kite, black-breasted buzzard-kite; French: Milan а plastron; German: Schwarzbrustmilan; Spanish: Milano Pechinegro.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
19.7–23.6 in (50–60 cm); male c. 1.3 lb (1.3 kg); female c. 3.3 (1.5 kg). Heavy build. Short legs with large white feet. Black and brown body with white accents.
DISTRIBUTION
Mainly arid central and tropical northern Australia.
HABITAT
Arid deserts, grasslands and plains, especially along wooded creek lines, and tropical woodlands, grasslands, and savannas.
BEHAVIOR
Usually solitary or in pairs or family groups but gathers in small numbers (up to nine recorded) at large carcasses. Movement by part of the population northward in winter for the dry season, but many birds resident year round. In summer, escapes tropical coasts (wet season) and hottest deserts.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Spends much time on wing in search of prey, soaring, gliding, or low quartering; also walks across the ground in search of prey. Main prey is medium-sized mammals (such as young rabbits), birds, large lizards, and nestlings of other birds including raptors. One of the few raptors to use a tool (see also Egyptian vulture): mainly, picks up a rock in the beak and hurls it at large eggs (e.g., Emu eggs) to gain access to their contents. Also breaks egg directly with bill and by throwing egg itself. Scavenges carrion and occasionally catches snakes and large insects. Not a powerful predator like the superficially similar Wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax).
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Usually nests as solitary pair but one polyandrous trio recorded. Builds a large platform of sticks lined with leaves in a living or dead tree in the open. Typically, lays a clutch of two eggs in August–October. Incubation about 36 days; chicks fledge after about seven or eight weeks.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened. Widely but thinly distributed across range and generally uncommon. Declined in south-east of range due to
HABITAT
degradation and loss of prey species.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Susceptible to poisoning when scavenging on baited carcasses, but harmless to stock. Traditionally hunted by some aboriginal tribes and feathers used in hairbelts and other decorative products, but custom largely lapsed.

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