Black-shouldered Kite vs White-tailed Kite

Black-shouldered Kite

Elanus axillaris

Medium270 gGrassland

The adult black-shouldered kite is around 35 cm (14 in) in length, with a wingspan of between 80 and 100 cm (31 and 39 in). The female is slightly heavier, weighing on average around 300 g (11 oz) compared to the male's average weight of 260 g (9.2 oz). The sexes have similar plumage. The crown, neck and upperparts are pale grey, while the head and underparts are white. A black comma-shaped marking lies in front of and stretches over and behind the eye, which is deep red and surrounded by a black orbital ring. The leading edge of the outer wing is black. Voice: The black-shouldered kite is generally silent, except in the breeding season when its calls, though weak, can be persistent. It primarily utters a clear whistled chee, chee, chee call in flight and while hovering, or a hoarse wheezing skree-ah when perched.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Frankzed from Melbourne, Australia · CC BY 2.0

White-tailed Kite

Elanus leucurus

Large346 gUrban

The coloration of the white-tailed kite is gull-like, but its shape and flight are falcon-like, with a rounded tail. While it has white faces and white underparts, it has black wingtips, beaks, and shoulders. Contrastingly, the white-tailed kite has deep red eyes that stand out at night. A mid-sized kite, it measures 35–43 cm (14–17 in) in length, spans 88–102 cm (35–40 in) across the wings, and weighs 250–380 g (8.8–13.4 oz). Both the wings and tail are relatively elongated, and the tarsi measure around 3.6 cm (1.4 in).

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Greg Schechter · CC BY 2.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black-shouldered Kite and White-tailed Kite.