Square-tailed Kite

1. Square-tipped tail with dark subterminal band and obvious corners

2. Creamy white face and head, contrasting with rufous, streaked underparts

3. Characteristic low, slow gliding flight just above the tree canopy

The Square-tailed Kite is a specialist canopy hunter, feeding mainly on small birds-especially nestlings and eggs-plucked from foliage, as well as large insects, reptiles, and occasionally small mammals. It rarely feeds on carrion. It is known for its unusual habit of raiding paper-wasp nests for larvae, earning it the nickname “Australia’s honey-buzzard” in some circles. Breeding occurs from July to December, with pairs building large stick nests high in living trees, often near watercourses. Clutches usually contain one or two eggs, with a long incubation and nestling period, and typically only one chick is reared each year. The species is solitary outside the breeding season and defends large territories, with nests spaced widely apart (about 13 km).

Square-tailed Kites are found across mainland Australia, especially in open eucalypt forests, woodlands, riparian corridors, and sometimes well-vegetated urban areas such as parks and golf courses. They are most common in eastern and southwestern Australia, but can be seen throughout the continent, although always in low densities. Many individuals migrate northward during the non-breeding season, while others remain resident depending on their home territory. They are usually seen singly or in pairs, occasionally in family groups during breeding season.