Kites

Kite Photo Gallery ... Birds of Prey ... The Sport of Falconry

Kites are smaller raptors with long wings and weak legs which spend a great deal of time soaring. They occur naturally in the warmer regions of this world.

In general they will take live prey but mostly feed on dead animals.

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

• Genus Elanus
  • Black-winged Kite, Elanus caeruleus
  • Black-shouldered Kite, Elanus axillaris
  • White-tailed Kite, Elanus leucurus
  • Letter-winged Kite, Elanus scriptus
  
  
• Genus Chelictinia
  • African Swallow-tailed Kite, Chelictinia riocourii
  
  
• Genus Machaerhamphus
  • Bat Hawk, Machaerhamphus alcinus
  
  
• Genus Gampsonyx
  • Pearl Kite, Gampsonyx swainsonii
  
  
• Genus Elanoides
  • Swallow-tailed Kite, Elanoides forficatus

Subfamily Milvinae

• Genus Harpagus
  • Double-toothed Kite, Harpagus bidentatus
  • Rufous-thighed Kite, Harpagus diodon
  
  
• Genus Ictinia
  • Mississippi Kite, Ictinia mississippiensis
  • Plumbeous Kite, Ictinia plumbea
  
  
• Genus Rostrhamus
  • Snail Kite, Rostrhamus sociabilis
  
  
• Genus Helicolestes
  • Slender-billed Kite, Helicolestes hamatus - formerly in Rostrhamus
  
  
• Genus Haliastur
  • Whistling Kite, Haliastur sphenurus
  • Brahminy Kite, Haliastur indus
  
  
• Genus Milvus
  • Red Kite, Milvus milvus
    • Cape Verde Kite, Milvus (milvus) fasciicauda – extinct (2000)
  • Black Kite, Milvus migrans
    • Black-eared Kite, Milvus (migrans) lineatus
    • Yellow-billed Kite, Milvus (migrans) aegyptius
  
  
• Genus Lophoictinia
  • Square-tailed Kite, Lophoictinia isura
  
  
• Genus Hamirostra
  • Black-breasted Buzzard, Hamirostra melanosternon

A few of the Perninae are also called kites.

• Grey-headed Kite, Leptodon cayanensis


• White-collared Kite, Leptodon forbesi


• Hook-billed Kite, Chondrohierax uncinatus

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