Black Baza
Aviceda leuphotes
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
- FamilyAccipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
- GenusAviceda (Bazas and Cuckoo-Hawks)
- SpeciesAviceda leuphotes (Black Baza)
About the Black Baza
The black baza (Aviceda leuphotes) 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.
The bird was first described based on a specimen from Pondicherry under the name of Falco leuphotes. Several geographic races have been described including wolfei which is based on a single specimen from Sichuan and may belong to the nominate subspecies. The named forms include the following, but they have been questioned and further study has been called for.
A. l. syama (Hodgson, 1837) from eastern Nepal, northeastern India to south China which winters in Indo-China and the Malaya Peninsula. A. l. leuphotes (Dumont, 1820) was once claimed to breed in South-Western India, but no evidence exists and this is doubtful. It is said to breed in Burma and... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Manas National Park
Jerdon's Baza
Aviceda jerdoni
Crested Serpent Eagle
Spilornis cheela
Crested Hawk-Eagle
Nisaetus cirrhatus
Oriental Honey-buzzard
Pernis ptilorhynchus
Indian Spotted Eagle
Aquila hastata
Black-winged Kite
Elanus caeruleus
Pied Harrier
Circus melanoleucos
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneus
Himalayan Vulture
Gyps himalayensis
Short-toed Eagle
Circaetus gallicus
Rufous-bellied Eagle
Lophotriorchis kienerii
Gray-headed Fish-Eagle
Icthyophaga ichthyaetus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Periyar National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 3 | Doi Inthanon National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 4 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 5 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 6 | Cat Tien National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 7 | Khao Luang National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 8 | Manas National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Nagarhole National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 11 | Bandipur National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 12 | Kaziranga National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 13 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 14 | Royal Bardia National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 15 | Cuc Phuong National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 16 | Royal Manas National Park | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | |
| 17 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Black Baza in Manas National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black Baza sighting in Manas National Park, based on 36 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Black Baza in Manas National Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Black Baza in Manas National Park in our monthly data.