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Black-breasted Kite (Hamirostra melanosternon)

The black-breasted kite is a large Australian raptor of open woodland, savanna, arid country and watercourse habitats. It nests in large trees and may be affected by clearing, fragmentation and disturbance near active nests, particularly during incubation and while young remain dependent after fledging.

Conservation status

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

Identification

The black-breasted kite is a large, dark raptor with a distinctive underwing pattern and a short, square-ended tail. It is also called the black-breasted buzzard, so both names may occur in survey reports and databases.

Adults have a dusky black head, back and wings with rufous highlights. The lower belly and undertail are reddish-brown. The breast is not always black and may be pale reddish-brown with black streaking.

  • From below, look for the short square tail, long upswept wings with rounded tips, and large white round markings at the base of the flight feathers.
  • Adults are about 55 to 60 centimetres long, with females larger than males, as is typical of many raptors.

Identification: Similar raptors

The species can be confused with other Australian raptors, particularly when viewed briefly or when plumage is immature. The combination of a dark upper body, rufous lower belly, short square tail and large white basal flight-feather markings is useful for confirmation.

  • Do not identify a bird from breast colour alone, because the breast may be black, pale reddish-brown or streaked.
  • Record photographs showing the underwing, tail shape and body pattern where safe and practicable.
  • The species is distinct from the square-tailed kite in the supplied reference material, which is described as paler and more strongly associated with woodlands and open eucalypt forest.

Identification: Field signs

The most useful field signs are sightings of the bird, its rapidly repeated two or three syllable call, and a large stick nest in a tree fork. The species also performs conspicuous aerial displays during courtship.

  • Search tall trees and tree-lined watercourses for large stick platforms, particularly in isolated woodland patches and near hunting areas.
  • Record the tree species, nest condition, GPS position and whether adults, eggs or young are present.
  • Avoid approaching an active nest closely. Use binoculars or a spotting scope, and keep exact nest locations confidential in public records.

Distribution: Australian range

The supplied references place the species mainly in northern and central Australia, with additional records across northern and eastern Australia. They do not provide a complete state by state distribution, bioregional limits, population estimate or population trend.

The species is described as well established in northern and central Australia and generally absent from southern Australia, Tasmania and most of the eastern seaboard. Another source describes it more broadly across northern and eastern Australia, including parts of New South Wales, Queensland and the Top End.

  • Expected broad settings include the Top End, northern and central inland areas, Queensland and some parts of New South Wales.
  • Sightings can occur outside core areas after wet seasons because movement follows rainfall and prey availability.
  • The supplied documents do not identify named bioregions, strongholds or separate subpopulations.

Distribution: Population information

No national population estimate or population trend is provided in the supplied documents. A project assessment should therefore rely on current state databases, threatened species mapping and targeted survey results rather than infer abundance from a single sighting.

National population estimate: Not provided in the supplied documents.

Population trend: Not provided in the supplied documents.

Named strongholds or subpopulations: Not provided in the supplied documents.

NSW status: Vulnerable, as stated in the project brief.

Habitat: Habitat types

The black-breasted kite uses open, wooded country where large trees provide nest sites and exposed perches, and where prey is available. Watercourses and wetland edges are repeatedly identified as important settings.

Recorded habitat types include open woodland, savanna, open eucalypt country, wetland edges and eucalypt-lined watercourses in arid and desert regions. The species often occurs near water, where prey may be more abundant.

  • Retain open woodland patches with scattered large trees, especially near drainage lines and wetlands.
  • Assess isolated woodland patches and riparian trees as potential nest and hunting habitat, even where the surrounding country is arid.
  • Consider seasonal conditions when interpreting absence, because birds may move after wet seasons.

Habitat: Structural features

Large trees with strong forks or substantial canopy structure are important for the large stick nest. Clear flight paths between nest trees and hunting areas are also favoured.

  • Map large trees, mature eucalypts, riparian corridors and isolated woodland remnants before clearing.
  • Inspect trees near watercourses and woodland edges for large stick nests from a safe distance.
  • The supplied documents do not give a confirmed elevation range or a minimum tree height for this species.

Foraging habitat: Diet

This is a predatory raptor that takes a broad range of live prey. It hunts across open woodland, savanna, watercourse corridors and nearby open country associated with nest territories.

Recorded prey includes birds, reptiles, small mammals, rabbits, small wallabies, grasshoppers and other large insects. The species generally prefers live prey and may rob other raptor nests, taking eggs or young to feed its own chicks.

  • Record prey deliveries where they can be identified without approaching the nest.
  • Treat active nests of other raptors as potential foraging resources and avoid disturbing both the nest and nearby black-breasted kite activity.
  • Do not assume that carrion is an important food source, as the supplied reference states that the species usually disdains carrion.

Foraging habitat: Foraging setting

The species favours nest sites with clear flight paths to hunting grounds. It is commonly associated with open woodland, savanna, arid watercourses and areas near wetlands or other water.

  • Retain connected flight paths between large nest trees, riparian vegetation and open hunting areas where practicable.
  • Assess prey-rich wetland edges and watercourse margins as part of the habitat used by a breeding pair.
  • The supplied documents do not provide a measured foraging range or home-range size for this species.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding pairs use large stick nests in mature trees, often near watercourses or in isolated woodland patches. Breeding timing varies with rainfall and food availability, so local observations are important on project sites.

Courtship includes steep dives, rolls and talon-grappling. Pairs may reuse or refurbish the same nest territory in successive seasons. Both parents contribute to feeding, although the male may do more hunting early in the nestling period while the female broods and tears prey into pieces.

Breeding period: Typically begins in the early dry season, with timing shifting with rainfall and food availability.

Clutch size: One to four eggs, usually two.

Incubation: Approximately five to six weeks.

Hatching: Chicks hatch asynchronously, and the first-hatched chick may outcompete younger chicks when food is scarce.

Fledging: Typically six to eight weeks after hatching.

Post-fledging dependence: Young remain dependent on their parents for several weeks according to one source, and for several months according to another.

Age at maturity: Not provided in the supplied documents.

Lifespan: Not provided in the supplied documents.

Breeding habitat: Nest habitat

Nests are large stick platforms placed in the fork of a tree. Suitable sites include tall eucalypts and other large trees near watercourses or in isolated woodland patches, with canopy cover and clear access to hunting areas.

  • Search mature trees before clearing, particularly large eucalypts along drainage lines and in woodland remnants.
  • Record nests as active, inactive or of uncertain status, and document adults, eggs, chicks and prey deliveries from a distance.
  • Use a minimum observation distance of 100 metres where practicable, with optics, and limit visits during incubation to once per week or less.

Sheltering habitat: Known shelter and refuge features

The supplied documents describe nest trees, hunting perches and post-fledging use of the nest area, but provide little information on separate roosting or shelter sites.

Large trees provide nest sites and perches. After fledging, young remain around the nest area while they develop flight and hunting skills, making the surrounding woodland and watercourse corridor important refuge and learning habitat.

  • Retain mature trees and adjoining canopy around active and recently used nests where practicable.
  • Maintain nearby woodland cover and clear flight paths during the post-fledging period.
  • The supplied documents do not specify roost tree dimensions, hollow use, burrows, dens, ground-cover requirements or separate communal roosts.

Sheltering habitat: Site protection

Nest disturbance can lead to abandonment or increased exposure to predators. Ground teams should keep people, vehicles and pets away from active nest areas and avoid unnecessary visits during incubation and early nestling development.

  • Use binoculars, spotting scopes, hides or vehicle blinds rather than approaching on foot.
  • Do not publish exact nest locations.
  • Escalate an active nest within a clearing footprint to the project ecologist and relevant wildlife authority before work proceeds.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The supplied documents identify disturbance, clearing, habitat fragmentation, predators, extreme weather and reduced prey availability as risks. Evidence for road mortality, disease and hydrology change is not provided and should be assessed specifically for each project.

Clearing large trees can remove nest sites and hunting perches. Fragmentation can reduce breeding opportunities by separating nest trees from open hunting areas and prey-rich water or wetland habitats.

  • Survey mature trees, riparian corridors, wetland edges and isolated woodland patches before clearing.
  • Avoid removing active nests, nest trees and adjoining flight paths.
  • Retain connected habitat between nest trees, watercourses and open hunting areas where practicable.

Threats: Disturbance and breeding failure

Human activity near nests can cause disturbance or abandonment. Eggs and young are also exposed to ground predators, extreme weather and food shortages. Asynchronous hatching means younger chicks may receive less food when prey is scarce.

  • Maintain a 100 metre observation distance where practicable and minimise nest visits.
  • Schedule clearing and high-noise work away from active nest areas until the breeding attempt has finished, subject to project approval conditions.
  • If a fledgling is on the ground but appears healthy, keep people and pets away and allow the parents to continue feeding it.
  • Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or conservation authority for an injured or clearly distressed bird.

Threats: Information gaps for project assessment

The supplied documents do not quantify road mortality, disease, fire effects, hydrology change or population decline for this species. These factors should not be assumed to be absent, particularly where a project changes watercourses, burns woodland or increases traffic near riparian habitat.

  • Check current state and territory databases and approval requirements before works begin.
  • Document any active nests, prey concentrations, injured birds and changes to watercourse or wetland habitat.
  • Use current local advice where the project affects a known breeding territory.

Survey methodology: 1. Search for nests and breeding habitat

Survey for Black-breasted Kites should focus on open woodlands, savannas and wetland edges with large trees, especially eucalypt-lined watercourses and isolated woodland patches. The supplied documents do not provide a species-specific survey effort standard, so the project ecologist should set effort from the area, habitat quality, season, visibility and approval conditions.

Search large trees in or beside open woodland, savanna, wetland edges and eucalypt-lined watercourses. Prioritise isolated woodland patches, trees near water and trees with clear flight paths to feeding areas.

Search for large stick nests in the canopy or in a fork of a large tree. Record the tree species, tree condition, nest location, nest status and GPS position.

Use binoculars or a spotting scope, and do not approach an active nest unnecessarily. Keep exact nest locations off public platforms.

Typical nest tree setting: Large trees, often near watercourses or in isolated woodland patches.

Nest type: Large stick platform or nest in a tree fork.

Breeding timing: Typically begins in the early dry season, with timing varying with rainfall and food availability.

  • Complete searches before clearing and repeat them during the breeding period if works will continue through that period.
  • Use aerial imagery and ground-based searches to identify retained large trees and potential nest trees before machinery enters the site.

Survey methodology: 2. Observe adults, pairs and young

Conduct visual searches from fixed vantage points and while walking suitable habitat, particularly in the early morning when raptors may be active and visible.

Record aerial courtship displays, including steep dives, rolls and talon-grappling, as well as food deliveries, nest construction and adults carrying prey.

Inspect the area around known nests for fledglings and recently fledged birds. Young may remain dependent on adults for several weeks after fledging and may be seen on nearby branches or on the ground.

Incubation: Approximately 5 to 6 weeks.

Clutch: 1 to 3 eggs, with 2 commonly reported.

Fledging: Approximately 6 to 8 weeks after hatching.

Post-fledging dependence: Several weeks, with some field material reporting dependence for several months.

  • Record the date, time, observers, weather, location, number of adults and young, flight direction, behaviour, nest activity and any nearby disturbance.
  • Treat a fledgling on the ground as potentially healthy unless it is injured, in immediate danger or clearly orphaned. Keep people, vehicles and dogs away while checking for adult activity from a distance.

Survey methodology: 3. Record incidental and flight observations

Record Black-breasted Kites seen flying over or using the project area, even when no nest is found. Seasonal movement can place birds outside their usual core areas after wet seasons.

Confirm identification using the black head, back and wings, rufous highlights, reddish-brown lower belly and undertail, short square tail, rounded upswept wings and white markings at the base of the flight feathers.

Submit verified records to the relevant state wildlife database or atlas programme, with photographs where they can be obtained without approaching a nest.

Adult length: Approximately 55 to 60 centimetres.

Typical prey: Birds, grasshoppers, rabbits, small wallabies and other live prey.

  • Do not use playback or approach an active nest unless a suitably qualified ecologist has approved the method and the activity is allowed under the project approval.
  • Do not publish exact nest coordinates.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Use a qualified ecologist to define the survey area, timing and repeat visits because the supplied documents do not specify a Black-breasted Kite transect length, number of nights, hours, trap nights or minimum area search effort.
  • Survey all suitable habitat and all large trees that could support a nest before clearing, and repeat the inspection if the breeding period, site conditions or work footprint changes.
  • Record survey dates, start and finish times, weather, visibility, observers, methods, effort, tracks or vantage points, habitat, nest searches, detections and negative results.
  • Submit confirmed records and relevant photographs to the applicable state wildlife database or atlas programme.
  • Escalate an active nest, injured bird, distressed bird, proposed clearing near a nest or repeated predator activity to the project ecologist and relevant wildlife authority.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Before disturbance, retain the trees and water-associated habitat that support nesting, hunting and movement. Confirm the legal status for the state or territory, then set site controls around any active nest, fledgling family or suitable nest tree.

Retain large eucalypts and other large trees in open woodland, savanna and wetland-edge habitat, particularly trees beside watercourses and trees with existing large stick nests.

Retain connected tree cover and flight paths between nest trees, watercourses and nearby feeding areas where practicable.

Avoid clearing an active nest tree, its supporting fork or the immediate area used by dependent fledglings.

Set project-specific no-go areas and disturbance buffers through the ecologist and approval process because the supplied documents do not prescribe a Black-breasted Kite buffer distance.

  • Do not use a generic raptor buffer without checking the nest status, visibility, machinery type, noise, vibration, access route and approval conditions.
  • Retain live trees as well as dead trees that support nests or provide perches unless a qualified arborist and ecologist identify an immediate safety risk.

Before habitat disturbance: Check approvals and plan the works

The project brief identifies the species as not listed under the EPBC Act and Vulnerable in New South Wales. Confirm the current Commonwealth and state or territory listings before works start.

Obtain any required state fauna permits, threatened species approvals, wildlife rehabilitation arrangements and clearing approvals.

Schedule high-noise clearing and tree removal outside the local breeding period where practicable. The breeding period commonly begins in the early dry season, but rainfall and food availability can change timing.

Stage works so retained nest trees, watercourses and habitat links remain undisturbed until the ecologist confirms that no active nest or dependent young will be affected.

  • Include species-specific controls in the construction environmental management plan and fauna management plan.
  • Nominate the project ecologist, fauna spotter catcher, machinery supervisors, wildlife carer and reporting contacts before mobilisation.

Before habitat disturbance: Prepare the site

Complete a pre-clearance survey of all suitable trees, watercourses, woodland patches, nest trees, flight paths and nearby fledgling habitat immediately before clearing.

Mark retained trees, exclusion areas, watercourses, access routes and any active nest or fledgling area on plans and on the ground.

Brief all workers on identification, stop-work triggers, exclusion areas, speed limits, machinery sequencing and the prohibition on handling wildlife without authorisation.

  • Use exclusion fencing where it can protect a nest tree, fledgling area or retained habitat without blocking adult flight paths or causing additional disturbance.
  • Check the exclusion fencing and signs each day before machinery starts.
  • Keep domestic animals, unauthorised personnel and vehicles out of nest and fledgling exclusion areas.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery interface

During clearing and construction, the fauna spotter catcher must control the sequence of work and maintain direct communication with machine operators. Work must stop when an active nest, Black-breasted Kite or dependent young could be harmed.

Complete a daily fauna inspection before clearing, including retained large trees, nest locations, watercourses, nearby woodland and the ground around known fledgling areas.

Keep the fauna spotter catcher in a position where the machine operator can see the stop signal and where the spotter can inspect the next tree or work section safely.

Clear in small stages, with machinery progressing only after the spotter catcher has checked the immediate work area and released it for clearing.

Maintain exclusion fencing, signs and marked access routes throughout the work.

  • Stop machinery immediately when the spotter catcher gives the stop signal.
  • Do not allow machinery to fell, push, limb or damage a marked nest tree or tree used by an active pair until the ecologist has reassessed it.
  • Keep noise, lighting and vehicle movements away from active nest and fledgling areas as far as practicable.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat feature handling

Inspect large trees for active nests before removal, including dead trees and dead limbs in live trees that may support a nest.

Do not remove or relocate a nest, eggs or chicks unless a person with the required wildlife authority directs the action under an approved procedure.

Protect watercourses, wetland edges and eucalypt-lined drainage lines because they provide nesting and foraging habitat.

Inspect logs, rocks, burrows and dense ground cover as general fauna habitat before disturbance, but do not assume that these features are specific Black-breasted Kite nest habitat.

  • Retain suitable large trees and perches within the approved exclusion area.
  • If a nest tree must be removed for an immediate safety reason, stop work and obtain written direction from the project ecologist and relevant authority before proceeding.
  • Do not use nest boxes as a substitute for an active nest tree unless a species specialist and approval authority have specified the design and location.

During habitat disturbance: Animal encounters and stop-work triggers

If a Black-breasted Kite is found close to machinery, pause work and allow the bird to leave without chasing, trapping or crowding it.

Do not handle an adult, fledgling, egg or chick unless the handler is authorised under the applicable wildlife legislation and the action is necessary for welfare or safety.

Keep people and pets away from a healthy fledgling and observe from a distance for returning adults.

Arrange prompt transfer of an injured or distressed bird to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, veterinarian or relevant wildlife authority.

  • Stop work for an active nest, eggs, chicks, an injured bird, a bird trapped or injured by works, a fledgling in the work zone, repeated adult alarm behaviour or any unexpected nest tree.
  • Restart only after the fauna spotter catcher and project ecologist have inspected the area, recorded the incident and approved controls.
  • Record the location, time, condition, photographs, actions, handlers, authority consulted and final outcome for every encounter.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

After clearing, confirm that retained habitat and exclusion controls remain effective. Continue checking any active nest or dependent fledgling area until the ecologist confirms that the risk from the project has ended.

Inspect the cleared area and retained trees for injured, trapped or displaced birds, damaged nests and newly exposed hazards.

Recheck the margins of retained woodland, watercourses and nest trees after each clearing stage and after major changes in machinery or access.

Confirm that healthy fledglings can move between nearby perches and feeding areas without entering active work zones.

  • Keep exclusion fencing and signs in place until the project ecologist documents that the nest or fledgling risk has ended.
  • Remove temporary hazards such as open pits, unsecured materials and exposed wires, or protect them with approved fauna controls.
  • Do not collect an apparently abandoned fledgling without first checking for adult care and obtaining specialist advice.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

Monitor retained nest trees, nearby woodland and water-associated habitat during the remaining breeding period where works may affect them.

Record nest occupation, adult presence, prey deliveries, fledgling activity, disturbance events, injuries and mortality.

Compare post-work observations with the pre-clearance record and report any loss of habitat, nest failure or changed access to feeding areas.

  • Provide incident and monitoring records to the principal ecologist, approval holder and relevant state wildlife agency where required.
  • Submit verified sightings and breeding records to the relevant state wildlife database or atlas programme.
  • Review controls after every incident and before the next clearing stage.

After habitat disturbance: Offsets and residual impacts

Assess residual loss of nesting trees, woodland, watercourse habitat and connectivity against the project approval and state requirements.

Apply any required offset, rehabilitation or compensatory habitat measure through the approval process.

Do not treat an offset as a substitute for retaining an active nest tree or avoiding disturbance to dependent young.

  • Document the area, habitat type, number and condition of trees removed, nest status, retained habitat and any approved offset action.
  • Obtain approval before changing a committed exclusion area, rehabilitation area or fauna management measure.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore habitat structure

Rehabilitation should restore the tree-based, water-associated habitat used for nesting, perching and hunting. It should also maintain safe movement between retained trees and nearby feeding areas.

Protect retained large eucalypts and other mature trees during earthworks, access construction and follow-up maintenance.

Replant locally native eucalypts and other locally appropriate woodland species that match the pre-clearing vegetation community and provide future large-tree structure.

Reinstate a connected arrangement of trees along watercourses and between retained woodland patches where this is consistent with the approved rehabilitation design.

Do not place new trees, structures or lighting where they block known flight paths to retained nest trees.

  • Use local provenance species where required by the rehabilitation specification and state approval.
  • Maintain wetland edges and watercourses with appropriate native vegetation and erosion controls.
  • Do not install a nest box or artificial platform unless a raptor specialist has approved its design, placement and maintenance.

Rehabilitation actions: Manage threats and maintain the site

Control weeds that reduce native woodland regeneration or restrict access to retained trees and watercourses.

Manage feral and domestic predators around fledgling habitat in accordance with the fauna management plan and legal requirements.

Apply fire planning that protects retained nest trees, regenerating woodland and watercourse vegetation, with timing and intensity set by the land manager and relevant fire authority.

Prevent sediment, chemical runoff, vehicle access and artificial lighting from degrading retained water-associated habitat.

  • Inspect rehabilitation areas after storms, fire, flooding and maintenance works.
  • Repair erosion, failed plantings, damaged fencing and access breaches promptly.
  • Keep dogs, cats and unauthorised vehicles out of retained and rehabilitated habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitor success

Monitor plant survival, regeneration, weed cover, tree protection, watercourse condition and connectivity between retained habitat patches.

Inspect retained large trees and known nest trees for nest construction, adult use, breeding activity and fledgling use during the local breeding period.

Use repeat photographs, GPS points and the original pre-clearance habitat map to measure change over time.

  • Set project-specific success criteria for native plant survival, weed cover, erosion, tree retention and habitat connectivity before rehabilitation starts.
  • Continue monitoring until the approval holder and project ecologist confirm that the rehabilitation controls and habitat outcomes have been met.
  • Report Black-breasted Kite sightings, nesting attempts, injuries and mortality to the relevant state wildlife database or authority.

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