Black Kite (Milvus migrans) | Photos, Calls and ID

NENot EvaluatedScavenger

WoodlandPlatform nestLarge · 734 g

What the Black Kite sounds like

Sonogram of the Black Kite: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.

Recorded by Sonothèque ADVL · Call · Genêts, Manche, Normandie, France · CC0 · via xeno-canto

Recorded by Sonothèque ADVL · Alarm call, call, interaction · Genêts, Manche, Normandie, France · CC0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

Black kites can be distinguished from red kites by their slightly smaller size, less forked tail (visible in flight), and generally dark plumage without any rufous. The sexes are alike though the male is a little smaller and less aggressive (this is the case in most birds of prey). They weigh 735 grams (25.9 oz) on average. The upper plumage is brown, but the head and neck tend to be paler. The patch behind the eye appears darker. The outer flight feathers are black and the feathers have dark cross bars and are mottled at the base.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Black Kite

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is April, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Black Kite

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 150 countries with regular records, and 6 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

India France Spain Australia Georgia Taiwan Japan Germany South Africa Portugal Sweden Israel Hong Kong SAR China Nepal Kenya Switzerland Russia Uganda Bangladesh China Ghana Ethiopia Mongolia Madagascar Gambia Thailand Belgium Senegal Tanzania Türkiye Pakistan Rwanda Italy Botswana Egypt Morocco Zambia Kazakhstan Papua New Guinea Iran Zimbabwe Czechia Palestinian Territories Namibia Austria Ukraine Greece Poland Luxembourg Bulgaria Mozambique Nigeria Congo - Kinshasa São Tomé & Príncipe Vietnam Cameroon Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Saudi Arabia Benin Sri Lanka Myanmar (Burma) Norway Malaysia Finland Côte d’Ivoire Macao SAR China Indonesia United Arab Emirates Slovakia Azerbaijan Croatia South Korea Jordan Cambodia Togo Eswatini Malawi Hungary Denmark Algeria Guinea-Bissau Congo - Brazzaville Burkina Faso Gibraltar United Kingdom Sierra Leone Liberia Lebanon Oman Netherlands Bhutan Guinea Serbia Equatorial Guinea Cyprus Sudan Moldova Armenia Lithuania Belarus Tajikistan Slovenia Chad Romania South Sudan Singapore Uzbekistan Tunisia Mauritania Yemen Angola Central African Republic Mali Afghanistan Niger Burundi Gabon Timor-Leste Iraq Somalia Laos Malta Latvia Djibouti Eritrea Lesotho Estonia New Zealand Syria Liechtenstein Cape Verde Andorra Philippines Qatar Albania Guadeloupe Bosnia & Herzegovina Comoros Ireland North Macedonia Bahamas Montenegro Turkmenistan Bahrain Mayotte Guam Northern Mariana Islands Barbados Trinidad & Tobago

Recorded as a rare visitor in Réunion, Grenada, Kosovo, Libya, United States, Iceland.

About the Black Kite

The black kite or fire kite is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. It is thought to be the world's most abundant species of Accipitridae, although some populations have experienced dramatic declines or fluctuations. Current global population estimates run up to 6.7 million individuals.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Red KiteMilvus milvusRed kites are 60 to 70 cm (24 to 28 in) long with a 175–195 cm (69–77 in) wingspan; males weigh 800–1,200 g (28–42 oz), and females 1,000–1,300 g (35–46 oz).

Side by side: Black Kite vs Red Kite

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