Accipitridae

Smallest Australian falcon, dark and long winged, slate-blue to brackish above, darker on head, white or buff forehead, throat and partial rear collar, black cheek-mark down from crown. Rufous underparts and trousers streaked blackish, flanks ocasionally marked with blue-grey. Bill blue-grey tipped blackish; cere, eyering and legs yellow. Immature: feathers of upperparts margined rusty; cere, skin eyering and legs bluish.

Diurnal, Uses nests of magpies, crows and other. Solitary and wary except when nesting.

Grassland Forest Woodland, Open and lightly timbered country; mountain ranges; inland waters and fringing forests.

It is suggested some birds migrate to islands to the north of Australia (Deignan 1964).

April May June, 3; buffy-white, hidden by reddish-brown markings. Female incubates, broods and cares for the young, incubation period 30 days and young fledge 5 wks.

Kakadu National Park

Carnivore, birds; small mammals; reptiles and insects.