Open woodland, forest, farmlands, orchards, towns of eastern and southeastern Australia from northeast Queensland south to Victoria and west to southeastern South Australia. Introduced into southwestern Australia, Tasmania, and Kangaroo and Flinders Islands in Bass Strait. They feed by perching on a tree branch and pouncing on terrestrial invertebrates, reptiles, small mammals, birds and nestlings. Can devour snakes up to 3 ft in length. Not closely associated with water, but will sometimes catch fish with plunging dives and, on occasion, raid suburban goldfish ponds.
Prey is stunned by dropping from a height or whacking it against a branch before swallowing.
They will even kill poisonous snakes by grabbing them behind the head and smashing them against a rock until they are dead. These birds live in family groups that defend the same territories year round. They nest in hollow trees, holes in the walls of buildings, or the nests of termites. Sexual maturity is at 1 year. Both parents generally play equal parts in incubation, brooding and rearing of the young.