Congregating in flocks of hundreds. Attracted to bushfires for fleeing small animals. Flight is leisurely, occasional wing flaps, soaring and gliding effortlessly in thermals. Characteristically twists its forked tail. Scavenges carrion. Feeds on the ground, often around refuse tips. Dives on rodents and reptiles when flushed.

Found in open woodlands, mangrove swamps, tree-lined waterways and homesteads.