Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus) lives in open savanna across Australia and New Guinea. It feeds on small mammals birds. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
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The whistling kite belongs to a tiny trio of raptors that deliberately ignite or spread fire to drive prey into the open. It will hover at the edge of a grass fire, pick up burning sticks and drop them onto untouched ground, creating fresh flames that flush animals from cover. This behaviour is shared only with the black kite and the brown falcon, making the three the only known fire-setting birds.
In Taunton Scientific National Park, researchers recorded that spotted bowerbirds frequently imitate the whistling kite's call, and they do so more often as the kite's breeding season progresses. The study noted that the birds mimic the kite's clear descending whistle, sometimes followed by a rapid series of rising notes. Although the reason for this mimicry remains unknown, the pattern is consistent throughout the breeding period.
Female whistling kites are markedly bulkier than males, reaching up to 21% greater in length and weighing as much as 42% more, despite a considerable overlap in overall size. This sexual dimorphism means females can weigh up to 1,000 g while males may be as light as 380 g.
When grass fires break out, whistling kites hover at the flames and pick up burning sticks to drop onto unburnt patches, creating fresh fire that forces animals from cover. They often patrol roads for roadkill and will also hover over the edges of grass fires in search of prey fleeing the flames.
In Australia whistling kites primarily hunt live prey such as small mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, crustaceans and insects, but switch to largely carrion during the winter months. In contrast, individuals in New Guinea are principally scavengers, relying on dead animals for most of their diet.
Sources
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As the sun rises over the savannah, the Whistling Kite takes to the skies, its piercing call echoing across the landscape like a shrill whisper, a haunting melody that heralds its presence. With wings outstretched, it soars effortlessly, a master of the thermals, riding the warm currents with an elegance that belies its sharp-eyed prowess as a hunter. In a world of predators, the Whistling Kite stands out as a sleek and agile opportunists, a true marvel of evolution, with a reputation for scavenging carrion and snatching unsuspecting prey from the grasslands below.
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