PLATE XXX 
DIURNAL BIRDS OF PREY 
1. Crested Hawk Baza subcristata Gould 
Baz'-a —N.L., baza, hawk: sub-cris-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, in¬ 
offensive species, feeding chiefly on insects and their larvae, or occasion¬ 
ally on dead animals. When in flight it has a peculiar habit of 
“tumbling", uttering 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 melanoslerna Gould 
Ham-i-ros'-tra- L., hamus, hook; L., rostrum, bill: mel'-an-o-ster'-na- 
Gk, melas (melanos), black; Gk, sternon , breast. 
distribution. New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Terri¬ 
tory, 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 con¬ 
siderable 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 Decem¬ 
ber. 
