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

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Pacific Baza at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "subcristata"

Eastern cline - QLD/NSW

ADULT

MALE

Frontal/ventral view of a male(?) Pacific Baza looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pullenvale, QLD, November 2023]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a male Pacific Baza (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Curtin Fig Tree, Atherton Tablelands, QLD, September 2020]

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 portrait of a female Pacific Baza; note the rufous hues on the neck
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Malanda, Atherton Tablelands, QLD, July 2020]

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_20230509.mp3 subcristata
(Top End, NT)
Contact calls? (pair Q&A) © PB
pacbaza_pb_20230509_2.mp3 subcristata
(Top End, NT)
Contact calls? (pair Q&A) © PB
pacbaza_me_20231025.m4a subcristata
(SE QLD)
Contact calls? (Q&A) © ME
pacbaza_pb_20191119.m4a subcristata
(Top End, NT)
Begging calls juvenile? © 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.