No.342 Black Kite Milvus migrans

L=58cm(♂)　　68cm(♀)

 Rank : 1
Resident
Most commonresident among hawks in Asakawa River basin through a whole year. Though itisn’t quite popular because of its abundance, its close-up look of fearlessdetermination is rather attractive as a raptor. Basically, identification ofhawks and eagles are rather difficult when they are in flight, but BlackKite can be distinguished by its concave-shaped tail-end. However, when thetail is wide spread, it sometimes may look convex-shape, and you need todetermine together with other features like white patches at base ofprimaries. With slow wingbeats, the species sometimes soars and glidescircling above seacoasts, large rivers and lakes, with a distinctive shrillwhistle followed by a rapid whinnying call.

Black Kite (Adult)
Black Kite (in Flight)