whistling kite (Haliastur sphenurus) Inspecting the carcass of a kangaroo
Date 4 June 2012, 16:09
Source whistling kite 2
Author Jim Bendon from Karratha, Australia
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Whistling_kite_2_(7334421872).jpg
The whistling kite (Haliastur sphenurus) is a medium-sized diurnal raptor found throughout Australia (including coastal islands), New Caledonia and much of New Guinea (excluding the central mountains and the northwest). Also called the whistling eagle or whistling hawk, it is named for its loud whistling call, which it often gives in flight. Some authorities put this species in the genus Milvus, despite marked differences in behaviour, voice and plumage between this species and other members of that genus.
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Haliastur
Species: Haliastur sphenurus (Vieillot, 1818)