At first glance, it looks like a crow that decided to dress up: glossy dark body, a crisp white chest band, rusty-and-white stripes on the belly, and a tall spiky crest that gives it a punk-rock vibe. When it perches upright on a branch, crest raised and chest band glowing white against the dark feathers, it’s almost impossible to mistake it for any other bird of prey. Despite its fierce look, it’s actually one of the smaller raptors in Asia, only about the size of a pigeon, which makes its dramatic appearance even more striking.
Unlike many hawks that hunt alone, the black baza is surprisingly social. In the non-breeding season, it often gathers in small groups, sharing tall trees as lookout posts. During migration, these groups can swell into large flocks—sometimes hundreds or even thousands of birds streaming past watchpoints as they move between breeding grounds in the Himalayan foothills and southern China and winter areas in India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, and Indonesia. Birdwatchers at migration hotspots talk about rivers of black-and-white raptors flowing overhead, each one flashing its white chest and striped belly as it flaps and glides past. This flocking behavior sets the black baza apart from more solitary raptors and makes it one of the stars of Asian raptor migration counts.
Its hunting style is just as distinctive. Instead of chasing big mammals, the black baza is an insect specialist. It snacks mostly on large insects like grasshoppers, cicadas, beetles, and mantises, and will also grab small lizards, frogs, and even the odd small bird. Often it sits quietly on a high perch, then launches into the air to snatch insects in mid-flight or pluck them from leaves, always using its feet as quick grabbers. It’s especially active at dawn, dusk, and on cloudy days, when many flying insects are on the move.
Distribution
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Cambodia
China
India
Indonesia
Laos
Malaysia
Myanmar
Nepal
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Thailand
VietnamAnything we've missed?
Help us improve this page by suggesting edits. Glory never dies!
Suggest an editGet to know me
Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Flock
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
