Hamirostra melanosternon
By Jarrod, CC BY 2.0
Etymology: Hook Bill
First Described By: Gould, 1841
Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Afroaves, Accipitrimorphae, Accipitriformes, Accipitridae, Milvinae
Status: Extant, Least Concern
Time and Place: Within the Last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary
The Black-Breasted Buzzard is known entirely from Australia
Physical Description: The Black-Breasted Buzzard is a very large bird, about 51 to 61 centimeters long, with a huge wingspan of up to 156 centimeters. The adults are mostly black, with orange spotting all over the wings and back; their necks are bright orange, and that orange extends to a small stripe above the eye. They have large, hooked bills, and long black tail feathers. Their legs have orange feathers, and their feet end in large talons. Juveniles are more pale in color, with some dark streaking on the breast feathers.
Diet: The Black-Breasted Buzzard mainly feeds on mammals, birds, reptiles, and carrion - especially rabbits, nestling birds, and large lizards.
By Benjamint444, CC BY-SA 3.0
Behavior: This bird will glide at a moderate height, soaring over the open habitats it frequents; it will then swoop to snatch prey from trees or seizing it on the ground. They’ll break eggs of large ground-nesting birds by hitting them with their bills, or hurling stones at them from their bills. This is a very quiet bird, even while courting; they do utter “yik-yik-yik” noises and whistles while interacting with family members, and breeding females make wheezing sounds to get their mates to mate with them.
The Black-Breasted Buzzard breeds throughout June through January, concentrating from September to December. They usually nest alone in eucalyptus groves, though they may be near other raptors. They are monogamous, staying in one breeding pair throughout their lives. They make nests out of a platform of sticks, lined with green leaves. Usually two eggs are laid and then incubated by the female for more than a month, while the male provides food. The chicks are very fluffy and white, and fledge after two months, but stay with their parents for two more months. They reach sexual maturity at 2 years of age. Some of these birds stay in one place throughout the year, while others will migrate - mainly due to drought.
By Lip Kee, CC BY-SA 2.0
Ecosystem: The Black-Breasted Buzzard lives entirely in semi-arid woodlands, savannas, plains, and deserts of Australia, usually at lower elevations and avoiding continuous forests.
Other: There are about 1,000 to 10,000 Black-Breasted Buzzards in the wild, and though they have had some sub-population decline, they don’t seem to be threatened with extinction. They are, however, sensitive to human activity, and negatively affected by decrease in prey mammal populations and illegal egg collecting.
~ By Meig Dickson
Sources under the Cut
