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6

Pacific Baza (Aviceda subcristata) Alternate name(s): "Crested Hawk", "Pacific Lizard-Hawk" Size: 35-45 cm; wing span 0.8-1.1 m Weight: 260-360 g (male), 290-450 g (female)

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Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Pacific Bazas are small raptors. They have the most conspicuous crest of all Australian raptors. Head, crest, nape of the neck and breast all grey, while the upperwings are dark-grey. Belly and vent are barred brown on white. The tail is grey, with a dark terminal band. The underwing coverts are brown, while the flight feathers are grey, with a black tip. The primaries are barred black and white. There are subtle differences between the sexes: males have an all-grey neck, while females have a brown wash on the neck, especially on the nape of the neck. The bill and feet of both sexes are grey, while the legs are covered with brown feathers, the feet are grey. The irises are yellow. Juvenile Pacific Bazas have all barred flight feathers and a browner body than adults.

Taxonomy, classification See Pacific Baza at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Pacific Baza is available HERE . Pacific Bazas are found in eastern Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Australia. The nominate race, Aviceda subcristata "subcristata", breeds only in Australia. There are basically two areas in Australia where they can be found: 1. The north-western cline - in the tropical North of WA (the Kimberley) and the Top End of the NT, plus a narrow coastal strip at the South-west end of the Gulf of Carpentaria and 2. The eastern cline - in the eastern half of QLD and in north-eastern NSW. Pacific Bazas are currently (since 2011) apparently extending their range southward along the NSW coast towards the Sydney area. Pacific Bazas hunt in both open and dense woodland usually on or near the coast, including urban parks.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "subcristata" Eastern cline - QLD/NSW L. Tonnochy reports spotting two immature Pacific Bazas, race "subcristata", 20 km West of Townsville, QLD, in July 2011. B. Hensen reports spotting Pacific Bazas, race "subcristata", at Rocky Creek, Cairns, in July 2013. C. Hayne reports seeing Pacific Bazas, race "subcristata", semi-regularly at various locations - mostly in riparian woodland - around Moree, NSW (including up to 60 km West of the township), which is on the western edge of their range. In total there were 7 sightings over a time span of 3 years (2011-2013). Up to 5 birds were spotted together, with juveniles, indicating that Pacific Bazas must be breeding in the Moree area. Note that no Pacific Bazas have ever been seen by us around Narrabri, just 100 km South of Moree. E. Scott reports spotting Pacific Bazas, race "subcristata", semi-regularly at Toonumbar State Forest, in northern NSW. M. Eaton reports finding a Pacific Baza, race "subcristata", at Sandy Camp Wetlands, Brisbane, QLD, in April 2018. Others were spotted at Stanage Bay, QLD, in July 2021, and at Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, in October 2021 and again in March 2023. M. Fleming found a Pacific Baza, race "subcristata", Timmallallie NP, between Baradine and Coonabarabran, NSW, in September 2020. North-western cline: Top End, NT & Kimberley, WA B. Hensen reports spotting Pacific Bazas, race "subcristata", at Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, in August 2013. P. Brown spotted a Pacific Baza, race "subcristata", at Buffalo Creek Point, Darwin, NT, in January 2018, and near Fogg Dam CR, NT, in August 2018. Another was spotted at Cox Peninsula, West of Darwin, NT, in August 2019, and another along the Bird Billabong, Adelaide River, Mary River NP, Top End, NT, in November 2019. In November 2020 a pair was found nesting at Howard Springs NR, near Darwin, NT. Another pair was found nesting at Berrimah, Darwin, NT, in November 2020. A. Lee found a Pacific Baza, race "subcristata", at East Russell, near Cairns, QLD, in October 2020.

Photos

Race "subcristata"

Eastern cline - QLD/NSW

ADULT

MALE

Lateral/ventral view of a Pacific Baza - the absence of any brown on the neck indicates that this is a male
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, October 2021]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Pacific Baza looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, October 2021]

Dorsal view of a male Pacific Baza - note the all-grey neck (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Wetlands, Brisbane, QLD, April 2018]

FEMALE

Frontal/ventral view of a female Pacific Baza (photo courtesy of L. Tonnochy)
[Near Townsville, QLD, July 2011]

Close-up near-frontal view of a female Pacific Baza looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, March 2023]

Close-up near-frontal view of a female Pacific Baza - note the brown wash on the sides of the neck
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, March 2023]

Near-frontal view of a female Pacific Baza looking sideways (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Rocky Creek, Cairns, QLD, July 2013]

Near-lateral view of a female(?) Pacific Baza (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Stanage Bay, QLD, July 2021]

Lateral/ventral view of a female Pacific Baza (photo courtesy of M. Fleming)
[Timmallallie NP, NSW, September 2020]

Lateral/ventral view of a female Pacific Baza looking backwards (photo courtesy of M. Fleming)
[Timmallallie NP, NSW, September 2020]

Close-up near-dorsal/ventral view of a female Pacific Baza (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, March 2023]

Close-up dorsal/ventral view of a female Pacific Baza (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, March 2023]

Sex unknown

Dorsal view of a Pacific Baza, different posture (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, August 2014]

Lateral view of a Pacific Baza in flight (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
[Whittaker's Lagoon, NSW, December 2013]

Pacific Baza in flight, seen from underneath (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Rocky Creek, Cairns, QLD, July 2013]

Frontal view of a Pacific Baza in captivity spreading its wings (photo courtesy of J. Thurmer)

Near-lateral portrait of a Pacific Baza in captivity (photo courtesy of J. Thurmer)

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Close-up frontal view of an immature Pacific Baza (photo courtesy of L. Tonnochy)
[Near Townsville, QLD, July 2011]

Lateral view of a juvenile Pacific Baza (photo courtesy of L. Tonnochy)
[Near Townsville, QLD, July 2011]

Lateral view of a juvenile Pacific Baza, different posture (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Toonumbar State Forest, northern NSW, February 2017]

Dorsal view of a juvenile Pacific Baza (photo courtesy of L. Tonnochy)
[Near Townsville, QLD, July 2011]

Juvenile Pacific Baza under attack by a Bell Miner (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Toonumbar State Forest, northern NSW, February 2017]

Juvenile Pacific Baza right after take-off (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Toonumbar State Forest, northern NSW, February 2017]

North-western cline: Top End, NT & Kimberley, WA

ADULT

MALE

Partly obscured frontal view of a Pacific Baza; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 19 November 2019
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Bird Billabong, Adelaide River, Mary River NP, Top End, NT, November 2019]

Lateral view of a male Pacific Baza (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Katherine, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a male Pacific Baza (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Katherine, NT, July 2020]

Dorsal view of a male Pacific Baza; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 19 November 2019 (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Bird Billabong, Adelaide River, Mary River NP, Top End, NT, November 2019]

Lateral/ventral view of a male(?) Pacific Baza in flight (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Cox Peninsula, near Darwin, NT, August 2019]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a Pacific Baza with its prey, a locust (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Katherine, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a fierce-looking female Pacific Baza (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, August 2013]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Partly obscured view of a juvenile Pacific Baza; note the rufous collar (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Buffalo Creek Point, Darwin, NT, January 2018]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Oct - Feb

Eggs: 3 - 4

Incubation period: 30 - 32 days

Fledging age: ca. 34 days

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Basket

Material: Sticks, lined with fresh leaves

Height above ground: 10 - 30 m

Pacific Bazas prefer to nest in valleys, usually not far from water. The nest is small and light-weight, placed in an outer horizontal fork, right in or under the foliage of a tree crown.

Pacific Baza on its nest, high up in the canopy of a tall tree (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Howard Springs NR, near Darwin, NT, November 2020]

Pacific Baza on its nest, high up in the canopy of a tall tree (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Berrimah, Darwin, NT, November 2020]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 43 x 34 mm

Colour: White

Shape: Rounded

Food, Diet

All raptors are carnivores. Pacific Bazas prey on large insects, such as locusts and mantids, but also frogs and small reptiles. They normally take these in the air or from foliage or branches, rarely from the ground.

Frontal view of a Pacific Baza with its prey, a locust (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Katherine, NT, July 2020]

Frontal view of a Pacific Baza with its prey, a frog (photo courtesy of A. Lee)
[East Russell, near Cairns, QLD, October 2020]

Juvenile Pacific Baza devouring what looks like a locust (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
[Biniguy, NSW, January 2011]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

pacbaza_pb_20191119.m4a

subcristata (Top End, NT)

?

© PB

More Pacific Baza sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.

Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Sat, 11 March 2023, 4:42 +00:00