Black-breasted Buzzard

## About

A black-breasted buzzard perched on a dead tree.

The black-breasted buzzard ***(Hamirostra melanosternon)*** is a large raptor bird native to the Central regions of Australia and belongs to the family accipitridae. black-breasted buzzards are known for their unique craftsmanship and high intelligence when hunting, much like their close relatives the square-tailed kite ***(Lophoictinia isura)***. These birds display dashes of black through their chest and wings and pigments of orange and brown from their crest to their tail. They have thick and sharp edged beaks perfectly adapted for ripping flesh from their prey. Another adaptation present in black-breasted buzzards is that they have an astounding ability to use tools. They are one of the few bird species around the world to master tool use. Australian Geographic describes black breasted buzzards as Australia's craftiest bird, having the ability to crack open emu ***(Dromaius novaehollandiae)*** eggs using rocks they pick up with their mouth, hitting the egg with the rock to get to the tasty innards. The black-breasted buzzard also reaches up to 51-61cm (20-24in) in height and has a wingspan of 1.5m (4.9ft) along with a weight of 1.3kg (2.9lbs). This makes the black breasted-buzzard Australia's third largest raptor behind the white-bellied sea-eagle ***(Haliaeetus leucogaster)*** and the wedge-tailed eagle ***(Aquila audax)***.

## Diet

Black-breasted buzzards according to Australian Museums, have a diet that consists of for rabbits, ground-dwelling birds, lizards and carrion (dead animals). these buzzards are known to soar fast and low to the ground picking off anything that will satisfy them. Though their main hunting trait and easily their most fascinating, is their unique ability to use tools. These raptors are infamous for finding the eggs of emus, brolgas ***(Grus rubicunda)*** and bustards and finding certain rocks that they can then either drop or bash on the egg to crack it open.

## Conservation Status

Though population numbers of the black-breasted buzzard are in decreasing state, they have been listed as least concern via the IUCN. Black-breasted buzzards have been able to establish populations all throughout Australia, from the tropics to the deserts. A very successful and versatile raptor.

## Range and Population

    As said before the black-breasted buzzard is a very diverse species that can occupy many different biomes and regions, stretching from the harsh deserts of central Australia to the most Northern parts of the continent in the tropics of Queensland. They also adopt grasslands and shrub-lands in which greatly supports their hunting style. Assessed by the IUCN the official population was 670-6,700 and seeing that their numbers are declining the raptor is possibly looking at a near-threatened or vulnerable category in the next few years or so. black-breasted buzzards are not at all seen as a pest in any way as they do the opposite of what a pest would usually do. Black-breasted buzzards are often the key contributors in their ecosystems to keeping the rabbit and overall rodent population low, which are in fact seen as invasive pests all around Australia.

## Behaviour

These birds have a solitary lifestyles like most raptors and will hunt their prey during they day. They eat any food that satisfies them and will even scavenge for food at times, this makes them very effective and efficient hunters when soaring low and eyeing off anything they can catch. Black-breasted buzzards travel via migration patterns to where the food source is. Black breasted buzzards also have a Monogamous Mating system as they only have one partner during breeding, and this can last seasonally until the hatchling can fly or they may never change partners.

### Relationship with Humans

Black-breasted buzzards can be trained by humans to be a great hunter gatherer animal that can help humans. It has been proven that black-breasted buzzard were a great help for hunting for the indigenous people of Australia (the Aboriginals). The birds helped indicate the presence of an emu as they are known to have included emu eggs in their diet. The black-breasted buzzard was first described by John Gould in 1841 during a mainland Australia expedition in a time when lots of new discoveries all around the continent were being made.

## In Captivity

    The black-breasted buzzards can be showcased in a zoo in Victoria called Healesville Sanctuary were it displays its remarkable tool use by showing how the raptor cracks open an emu egg. The black-breasted buzzard features in the show 'Spirits of the Sky' were along with black-breasted buzzards there are wedge-tailed eagles and a variety of parrot species. This black-breasted buzzard display can also be found in the Taronga Zoo which also represents the buzzard's intelligence. Efforts through these zoos have been made to try and stop the black-breasted buzzards population numbers declining.

## Sources

* Healesville Sanctuary - https://www.zoo.org.au/healesville/
* Taronga Zoo - http://tarong-zoo-animals.weebly.com/black-breasted-buzzard.html
* IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22695014/93484613
* Australian Museum | Black-Breasted Buzzard - https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/black-breasted-buzzard/
* Australian Geographic | Black-Breasted Buzzard - https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/blogs/creatura-blog/2018/11/the-black-breasted-buzzard-is-australias-craftiest-raptor/