A nestling Little Eagle Hieraaetus morphnoides was photographed and videoed from age 3 weeks until prematurely fledged at 8 weeks near Emmaville, New South Wales, during November–December 2023. This visual record, with notes, of physical and behavioural development supplements descriptions and the few earlier photographs of age-related growth stages of nestlings of this species. The adult Eagles tolerated observation on the ground from ~70 m away, without adverse effects on the breeding event. Brief descriptions of parental behaviour at these weekly stages, and at the incubation and hatching stages, are included. A predator killed the pre-fledged but feathered eaglet after an overnight storm blew the eaglet to the ground before it could fly. Rescue of such grounded fledglings is discussed.

The diet of the Eastern Barn Owl Tyto javanica was investigated by examination of two samples of pellets (n = 11 and 39), pellet debris and prey remains from: (1) an occupied nest with fledgling in May 2009, and (2) an Owl’s winter roost in August 2009 near Tamworth in the grain belt of New South Wales. The breeding diet consisted, by number, of 91% mammals (90% rodents, including 87% House Mice Mus musculus) and 9% common farmland birds (n = 116 food items). The winter diet consisted of 99% House Mice and 1% bird (n = 188 food items). The fledgling Owl was killed when it failed to flush from its nest hollow as the tree was being felled, during approved clearing of the now Critically Endangered White Box–Yellow Box–Blakely’s Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Derived Native Grassland. Given the dependence of the Barn Owl on House Mice, and the ongoing clearing of hollow trees, we note the potential for (a) secondary poisoning of owls by rodenticides, especially during plagues of the invasive House Mouse in the grain belt, and (b) the Barn Owl’s long-term decline in abundance in New South Wales.

Rae et al. (2023, Australian Field Ornithology 40, 17–19) suggested that a pair of Little Eagles Hieraaetus morphnoides might have abandoned their nest because of infestation of the nest by dermestid beetles. Here the context of their observations is discussed, leading to the conclusion that the nest abandonment might have alternative explanations.

We describe and discuss a field observation of a strongly speckle-breasted and barred Black Falcon Falco subniger that also, unusually, had yellow feet and cere and pale-yellow orbital rings. We also found several museum specimens with ‘variegated’ plumage and yellow bare parts. We speculate that yellow bare parts in this species might occur only in some individuals, perhaps mostly males, of the most variegated (pale-marked) plumage types, and that these correlated features may be age-related characters that deserve further investigation. We also discuss the implications for field identification.

A pair of breeding Spotted Harriers Circus assimilis was observed in an agricultural environment near Tamworth, New South Wales, in winter–spring 2020 for 290 hours over 68 days from pre-laying and incubation to the post-fledging period. Laying occurred at the end of June, hatching at the beginning of August and fledging in mid September. Only the female incubated and brooded, and the male supplied all prey from the incubation period to late in Week 3 of the nestling period, after which the female contributed. Two chicks fledged of three that hatched; there was some sibling competition for food. The incubation period lasted 34 ± 1 days, and the nestling period 43 days for the older (female) chick and c. 40 days for the younger (male) chick. Prey consisted of ground-dwelling small mammals, birds and reptiles that are typical of agricultural land. The male’s prey-delivery rate to the incubating female was 0.22 item/h. Overall, the male delivered 0.31 item/h and the female 0.09 item/h to the nestlings, for a combined average of 0.4 item/h, peaking in the pre-fledging fortnight. The combined rate in the post-fledging period was 0.39 item/h (Week 1), declining to 0.16 item/h to the fledglings in Week 2 when only the male delivered prey and the adult female consumed some of his catch. Estimated biomass delivered ranged between ~20 and ~100 g/item (often 20–50 g/item). Breeding behaviour and nestling/fledgling growth and development are described. The juveniles appeared to be dependent or partly so for at least 3 weeks, and apparently roosted in the nest area in Week 4, after which they could not be located.

The diets of the Little Eagle Hieraaetus morphnoides and Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax breeding sympatrically in the Australian Capital Territory during 2011–2019 were compared by analysis of pellets and prey remains (six Little Eagle territories and 13 Wedge-tailed Eagle territories; 69 and 49 collections for a total of 232 and 256 prey items, respectively). Little Eagles took 33% mammals (29% European Rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus), 44% birds, 6% reptiles and 17% insects by number, and 65% mammals (62% Rabbits), 27% birds, 8% reptiles and <1% insects by biomass. Wedge-tailed Eagles took 59% mammals (23% Rabbits and 19% macropods), 38% birds, 1% reptiles, <1% fish and 1% insects by number, and 89% mammals (20% Rabbits, 38% macropods), 10% birds, and <1% reptiles, fish and insects by biomass. Indices of dietary diversity (Shannon Index and Standardised Food Niche Breadth) were 2.57 vs 3.07 and 0.19 vs 0.24, respectively; Geometric Mean Prey Weights (GMPW) were 164 vs 1392 g, but discounting a biased sample of insects in many pellets from two fledglings, Little Eagle GMPW was more like 340 g. Dietary proportions and some metrics for both species appear to have changed little since the preceding decade, although Wedge-tailed Eagle dietary diversity increased slightly and dietary overlap (80%) increased greatly, concomitantly with some pairs of Wedge-tailed Eagles replacing pairs of Little Eagles. Intraguild predation occurred, including Wedge-tailed Eagle predation on Little Eagles.

Polymorphism and inheritance of plumage colour in the Little Eagle Hieraaetus morphnoides were studied in northern New South Wales, by tallying records of parental morph combinations in breeding pairs and the morphs of their offspring in the 1980s, 2000s and 2017–2019 ( n = 41 pair combinations). The average ratio in breeding adults was 4.9 light:1 dark, with dark males outnumbering dark females (1.8:1). Light × light pairs always produced light young ( n = 32). Dark male × light female pairs variously produced light and dark offspring of both sexes ( n = 12). Light male × dark female pairs produced dark young of either sex ( n = 4) and one light young of unknown sex. One dark × dark pair produced a dark young. We conclude a Mendelian inheritance pattern with the dark morph recessive. From a small sample of mixed pairs with a dark male, the ratio of offspring morphs did not differ significantly from that expected by the Hardy–Weinberg equation, but mixed pairs with a light male produced 4 dark offspring to one light, versus the expected Hard –Weinberg ratio of 1.95 light: 1 dark. This outcome suggests a non-random transmission of the dark allele by heterozygous light males, and a similar pattern of inheritance to that in the related Booted Eagle H. pennatus .

The literature concerning the Square-tailed Kite's morphology, habitat, diet, hunting methods and breeding biology is reviewed and supplemented with field observations and museum data. The Square- tailed Kite is considered a specialised inhabitant of passerine-rich Eucalyptus open forests, woodlands, and heathlands, preying primarily on the young of small foliage-nesting birds by means of low , slow searching flight. It nests in mature living Eucalyptus and Angophora tree s in sclerophyllous vegetation , usually near water in the inland though not necessarily so in coastal areas. It apparently has a low breeding density, large home range and traditional nest site. Aspects of its biology indicate that it is related to the Black-breasted Buzzard Hamirostra melanosternon , but neither species seems close to the milvine kites. The Square-tailed Kite appears to be threat ened by habitat destruction; thi s s ugge sts an urgent need for a detailed study of it s biology and ecology.

Small patches of woodland were progressively established on degraded agricultural land near Gunnedah, northern New South Wales, on the heavily cleared Liverpool Plains. Birds were resurveyed in the plantings, and in agricultural fields (cropping and pasture) and remnant woodland, in 2011–12, 10 years after initial surveys in 2000–01. The plantings in the later survey were 60, 18, 16 and 13 years old, with a shrub layer included in the three youngest cohorts. The survey sites (total 14 ha planted, all within 200 m of remnant woodland) were paired 1-ha plots in each vegetation category. Birds were surveyed by 30-min area searches of each plot eight times over all seasons, using the same plots, procedure and observer as before. In all, 73 species were recorded in the later survey (versus 72 in the earlier survey), for a total of 87 species over both survey periods, with 58 species in 2011–12 (versus 54 in 2000–01) in the plantings; eight of 15 new species visited or colonised the maturing plantings. Avian species richness and abundance increased from the cleared agricultural plots through the progressively older plantings to resemble those in the remnant woodland. Between the first and second surveys, bird communities in the younger plantings converged with those in the older plantings and woodland. The nectar-feeding, foliage-feeding and ground-feeding insectivore guilds benefitted most, having increased in frequency in, or moved into, the younger cohorts of plantings (>13 years old), or both. Several threatened and other declining woodland birds visited, increased in or colonised the plantings. However, noisy miners (Manorina melanocephala) progressively occupied a few plots and excluded some other birds.

The juvenile dark morph of the Pygmy Eagle Hieraaetus weiskei remains essentially undescribed, as here I reidentify a published photograph of one such alleged individual cited in an early paper on the morphs of the allospecific Little Eagle H. morphnoides . The problem photograph illustrates the potential for confusion between the dark-morph Pygmy Eagle (or indeed Little Eagle) and the juvenile Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus (Australasian subspecies H. i. girrenera ).

The diet and breeding of a pair of Square-tailed Kites Lophoictinia isura were studied at o ne nest on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, in the spring and early summer of 2001 , by direct observation and by analysis of pellets a nd prey remain s. The nest was in a tall Blackbutt Eucalyptus pilularis on the edge of forest near a town. The nestling period occupied early October to ear!y December, with fledging of one young by mid December. Brood r educ tion a nd cannibalism of the smaller sibling, almost halfway through the nestling ph ase, were associated with appa rent food s hort age . The diet consisted mostly of nestling birds , but included two Eastern Rosellas Platycercus eximius, a Common Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus peregrin u s and a reptile . Nestling growth and development , and so me behavioural observations are de s cribed.

The literature concerning field identification, physical characters (size, weight), diet , hunting / feeding behaviour, displays and breeding biology of the Collared Sparrowhawk Accipiter cirrocephalus is reviewed and supplemented with field observations and other data. Quantitative data on t he diet of the Collared Sparrowhawk show that it preys predominantly on birds less than 50 g (c . 3-40% of Sparrowhawk body weight) . Quantitative data on the diet of the Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus demonstrate partitioning between the two species in terms of prey size, taxonomic group and foraging zone: the Brown Goshawk's more diverse diet includes relatively larger prey, more mammals and more ground/understorey birds than that of the Collared Sparrowhawk, which takes relatively more canopy/aerial birds. The Sparrowhawk also appears to use more aerial hunting methods than the Brown Goshawk, in accordance with data on their aerodynamic properties. In diet, hunting behaviour and breeding biology the Collared Sparrowhawk closely resembles the other small sparrowhawks. Data on its biology are limited, and further investigation is required.

Breeding habitat and nest-site characteristics are described for four pairs of Northern Forest Ravens Corvus tasmanicus boreus on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales. Nests were built at 18–21 m above ground, sometimes on mistletoes, in mature eucalypts in woodland remnants in pasture. Three clutches were laid in early to mid August. Regurgitated pellets from one advanced nestling contained the remains mostly of beetles and grasshoppers, but also a crayfish, ant and small vertebrates (juvenile rabbit, small birds). Incidental dietary and foraging records, and morphometric data, for the Forest Raven on the North Coast of NSW are included.

The breeding cycle of a pair of Square-tailed Kites Lophoictinia isura was observed for 155 hover 113 days , from nest-building to post-fledging , from late July to early December 2003 at Port Macquarie, northern coastal New South Wales. Both sexes shared incubation and also brought food to the incubating mate; the male incubated on at least one night. Incubation l a sted an estimated 40 days, and the nestling period 52 days although fledging may have been slightly premature . Parental behaviour during each phase of the cycle, and growth of the nestling , are described. Parental food-delivery rates to the nest increased from 0 . 1 item / h in the pr e -laying phase to 0.3 item / h during incubation and 0.4 item / h in the nestling phase , then dropped to 0.2 item / h in the post-fledging period. By number (n = 66) , the breeding diet consist e d of 76 % birds (84 % of which were nestlings), 2 % lizard , and 23 % unidentified though probably nestlings. Inclusion of data from four other pairs monitored in the district , 1997 - 2002 , g a ve a nesting density of about 13 km between neighbouring pairs or approximately one pair p e r 170 km 2 , and a fledging rate of 0.7 young per attempt.