Photo: Benjamint444 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-breasted Buzzard
Hamirostra melanosternon
Black-breasted Buzzard (Hamirostra melanosternon) — Birds of Prey of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 16 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-breasted Buzzard (Hamirostra melanosternon) is a member of the Accipitridae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 1.2 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Accipitriformes
- Family Accipitridae Kites, Hawks, Eagles
- Genus Hamirostra
- Species melanosternon
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1.2 kg
- Diet
- Vertebrate hunters
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-breasted Buzzard preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Black-breasted Buzzard is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Black-breasted Buzzard (Hamirostra melanosternon) is a species of bird in the Accipitridae family, part of the order Accipitriformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Australia (except s, Tasmania).
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.2 kg, with a wing length of about 47.3 cm and a tail of around 23.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 5.3 million km².
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-breasted Buzzard?
The Black-breasted Buzzard is a very large bird that weighs around 1.2 kg.
Where does the Black-breasted Buzzard live?
The Black-breasted Buzzard is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Australia (except s, Tasmania), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black-breasted Buzzard belong to?
The Black-breasted Buzzard (Hamirostra melanosternon) belongs to the Accipitridae family, in the order Accipitriformes.
What does the Black-breasted Buzzard eat?
The Black-breasted Buzzard preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Does the Black-breasted Buzzard migrate?
The Black-breasted Buzzard is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Black-breasted Buzzard endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
How large is the Black-breasted Buzzard's range?
The Black-breasted Buzzard has a mapped global range of about 5.3 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Accipitridae
A field guide to the Accipitridae family — 254 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.