The facial disc is whitish near the outer edge, shading into sooty-blackish towards and around the eyes. The edge of the rim itself is dark sooty with a few tiny white flecks. Eyes are black, and the bill pale greyish-brown.
Upperparts from the crown to the lower back and to the wing-coverts are sooty-grey, densely spotted and dotted silvery-white, with the spots becoming rather large on the back and wing-coverts. The wings and tail are grey with several darker bars.
Underparts are paler than the upperparts, and boldly spotted and mottled pale grey and blackish, and also with chevrons, especially on the breast. Underwings are pale greyish.
Legs are feathered greyish to the base of the bare toes, which are coloured greyish-brown. Claws are dark greyish-brown.
Northeastern Australia from Princess Charlotte Bay south to around Ingham in north Queensland. There have also been sightings recorded on Hinchinbrook Island.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Australian Raptor Care and Conservation Inc acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. We recognise and appreciate the traditional significance and cultural roles birds of prey play in the lives of our First Nations people.
