212 
THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 
PLATE XXX 
DIURNAL BIRDS OF PREY 
1. Crested Hawk Baza subcristata Gould 
Baz-a — N.L., baza, hawk: sub-cns-ta-ta — sub as prefix, often = slightly; 
L., cristatus, crested. 
Distribution . — Northern and eastern Australia. 
Notes. — Usually singly or in pairs, frequenting the margins of scrubs 
and belts of timber bordering rivers and plains. It is a harmless, inoffen- 
sive species, feeding chiefly on insects and their larvae, or occasionally on 
dead animals. When in flight it has a peculiar habit of “tumbling,” utter- 
ing the while a clear whistling cry unlike that of any other Australian 
species of Hawk. 
Nest . — A slightly cupped structure, composed of sticks and twigs; 
lined with leaves. Generally placed on a thin horizontal branch, and 
supported by a few upright leafy twigs ; built at heights up to 60 feet from 
the ground. 
Eggs. — Three or four, uniform faint bluish-white, unless nest-stained. 
Breeding-season : October to December. 
2. Black-breasted Buzzard Hamirostra melanosterna Gould 
Hdm-i-ros-tra — L., Hamas, hook ; L., rostrum, bill : mel-an-o-ster-na — 
Gk, melas ( melanos ), black; Gk, sternon, breast. 
Distribution. — New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory, 
north-western Australia, and South Australia. 
Notes. — Usually singly or in pairs, frequenting open country, and 
nesting in belts of timber growing on plains or along watercourses. It 
is generally seen soaring high in the air, much after the manner of the 
Wedge-tailed Eagle. Except when visiting its nest, it seldom frequents 
trees, but generally rests on the ground. There is considerable variation 
in the plumage coloration of this species; some birds have little, or no, 
black on the breast. The female is larger and more conspicuously 
coloured than the male. Food: reptiles (chiefly lizards) and animals 
(mostly rabbits) ; it has the singular habit of robbing the nests of Emus 
and Bustards, and breaking the eggs with a stone grasped in its talons. 
Nest . — A large, flat structure, composed of sticks; lined with leaves. 
Usually placed on a horizontal fork of a tree. 
Eggs. — Usually two, white to buff, boldly blotched with reddish- 
purple and lavender markings. Breeding-season: September to December. 
