Black Baza
Aviceda leuphotes
The Black Baza (Aviceda leuphotes) is a rare kites, old world vultures, eagles, and hawk found in 16 countries, weighing about 194 g. The black baza is a small bird of prey found in the forests of Northeast India, the eastern Himalayas, China and Southeast Asia.
About the Black Baza
The black baza is a small bird of prey found in the forests of Northeast India, the eastern Himalayas, China and Southeast Asia. Many populations are migratory, including those in the Indian region, which winter in the south of the Peninsula and Sri Lanka. Black bazas have short, stout legs and feet with strong talons, and a prominent crest. They are found in dense forest, often in small groups, and can often be found perched on bare branches of tall trees rising above the forest canopy.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The black baza is a small and distinctively coloured raptor; it ranges from 30 to 35 cm in length, a 66 to 80 cm wingspan and a weight of 168 to 224 g. When perched, the upright crest and contrasting patterns make it difficult to misidentify. The male has white scapulars, secondary coverts and on the secondaries. The female has white only on the scapulars and more chestnut bands on the underside unlike the few bands in the male. While flying, it is similar to a crow and is often seen in small groups or flocks during migration. During migration, they are gregarious at their roost.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, October, November, December, with peak activity in November. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Black Baza?
- The black baza is a small and distinctively coloured raptor; it ranges from 30 to 35 cm in length, a 66 to 80 cm wingspan and a weight of 168 to 224 g. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Black Baza?
- The Black Baza is a medium sized bird weighing about 194 g.
- Where can you see a Black Baza?
- The Black Baza occurs in 16 countries, including Thailand, India, Singapore, Cambodia and Malaysia.
- What birds look similar to a Black Baza?
- The Black Baza is most easily confused with the Pacific Baza, the Jerdon's Baza and the African Cuckoo-Hawk.
- Is the Black Baza endangered?
- The Black Baza is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Black Baza for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.