Black-winged Kite

Black-winged Kite
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Falconiformes Family: Accipitridae Genus: Elanus Species: caeruleus
Binomial name
Elanus caeruleus

The Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harrierss.

It is a species primarily of open land and semi-deserts in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical Asia, but it has a foothold in Europe in Spain. It nests in trees.

It takes live prey such as small mammals, birds and insects. The slow hunting flight is like a harrier, but it will hover like a Kestrel.

This bird is unmistakable. It has a white head with a black "mask", and white underparts except for black tips to its narrow falcon-like wings. Upperparts are blue-grey except for black shoulder patches.

The tail is short and square, quite unlike the more familiar Milvus kitess.

See also Black Kite, Red Kite, Black-shouldered Kite.