Birds Guide

Kites
Black Kite
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia   Phylum: Chordata   Class: Aves   Order: Falconiformes   Family: Accipitridae
Genera
Milvinae Harpagus Ictinia Rostrhamus Haliastur Milvus Lophoictinia Hamirostra Elaninae Elanus Chelictinia Machaerhamphus Gampsonyx Elanoides

Kites are raptors with long wings and weak legs which spend a great deal of time soaring. In general they will take live prey but mostly feed on carrion.

They are birds of prey which along with hawks, eagles, Old World vultures and many others are in the family Accipitridae.

Together with less closely related groups such as New World vultures and Osprey, they make up the diurnal bird of prey order Falconiformes.

Species list

• Subfamily Elaninae
  • Black-winged Kite, Elanus caeruleus
    Black-shouldered Kite, Elanus axillaris
    White-tailed Kite, Elanus leucurus
    Letter-winged Kite, Elanus scriptus
    Scissor-tailed Kite, Chelictinia riocourii
    Bat Hawk, Machaerhamphus alcinus
    Pearl Kite, Gampsonyx swainsonii
    Swallow-tailed Kite, Elanoides forficatus
• Subfamily Milvinae
  • Double-toothed Kite, Harpagus bidentatus
    Rufous-thighed Kite, Harpagus diodon
    Mississippi Kite, Ictinia mississippiensis
    Plumbeous Kite, Ictinia plumbea
    Snail Kite, Rostrhamus sociabilis
    Slender-billed Kite, Rostrhamus hamatus
    Whistling Kite, Haliastur sphenurus
    Brahminy Kite, Haliastur indus
    Red Kite, Milvus milvus
    Black Kite, Milvus migrans
    Black-eared Kite, Milvus lineatus
    Square-tailed Kite, Lophoictinia isura
    Black-breasted Buzzard, Hamirostra melanosternon
    Chinese Kite, Milvus korshun

A few of the Perninae are also called kites.

• Grey-headed Kite, Leptodon cayanensis
  White-collared Kite, Leptodon forbesi
  Hook-billed Kite, Chondrohierax uncinatus

External links

• Kite videos on the Internet Bird Collection