You will see a few of them gliding around near Sankey Tank, Ulsoor Lake and Hebbal Lake. Brahminy kites also do well in cities, preferring to stick to areas close to urban water bodies. This bird has a more striking appearance than its cousin – reddish-brown wing plumage with a white head and breast in glorious contrast. The other kite that graces Bengaluru’s skies is the brahminy kite. These birds can be spotted pretty much anywhere in Bengaluru. Black kites have a shrill, whinnying call that can be heard from afar. Their distinctive forked tail makes them easy to identify in flight. Black kites spend a lot of time high in the air, gliding effortlessly on thermals as they scan the earth below for feeding opportunities. The body feathers have darker streaks running across them. The black kite has dark plumage all over its body, except for the head and neck, which tend to be slightly lighter. Human structures, like apartment ledges and mobile towers make ideal vantage points to build their scraggly nests in. Slaughterhouses and meat markets are their favourite haunts, and no scrap or discard is off the menu for these highly versatile eaters. They grab every feeding opportunity that comes their way. Nature has equipped kites with sharp hooked beaks and powerful talons, the tools of a raptor’s trade, but in cities such as Bengaluru, they are much more likely to scavenge. It has learnt to not only live off, but also actively exploit human settlements. On the contrary, it actually thrives better in heavily populated areas. As urbanisation spreads, most wild species retreat, but not this bird.
It was a black kite, a bird that defies logic and intuition.
Then it was off, as quickly as it arrived, back to its perch on the eaves of the clubhouse. A big dark-coloured bird swooped down from the sky, its wingtips almost brushing my ear, dipping just about low enough to grab a bone with its talons. As the patrons at the next table got up to leave, the bones from their biriyani neatly piled on a plate, I felt a whoosh of air on my face. The young stay in their nests for the next fifty days, until they learn to fly.īlack Kites are known to flock around bush fires (in Australia), waiting to ambush the animals that are fleeing from the fires.It didn’t take us too long to find out what he was talking about. Both parents take turns in incubating the eggs, which may take as long as thirty-four days. Black Kites re-use these nests so they tend to add to the material and repair them over time. Nests of Black Kites are sturdy constructions made of sticks and twigs located on tree branches, cliff ledges, or buildings. They are also carrion (dead animals) eaters and they also scavenge around garbage. Surprisingly, they form large flocks in winter as they hunt for food, which is rare in birds of prey. However, you won’t find them in dense forests and high mountains.īlack Kites are birds of prey so they are carnivores that hunt fish, small mammals, birds, bats, and rodents. You may be surprised to find them in cities, like the subspecies in India that are adapted to urban living. They favor wetlands, river edges, coasts, grassland, open plains, shrubland, and woodlands. You can find Black Kites in many different types of habitats considering how widespread they are in the world.
It has been seen in Alaska, which makes it a vagrant to North America. Its current population stands at 6 Million, spanning four continents – Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa. European and Central Asian birds are migratory while Indian and Australasian birds are resident. Their legs are yellow and their talons are black.īlack Kites currently have 5 subspecies – European Black Kite, Black-eared Kite, Small Indian Kite, Fork-Tailed Kite, and the Taiwan Kite. Their tails are short, forked, and with darker-brown barring.
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Their outer wings are black with a large pale patch at their base.
Their underparts are dark-brown, sometimes with some rufous (red) mixed in. They have a dark patch behind the eye, a yellow cere (skin connecting the bill to the forehead), and a black bill (which differentiates them from the yellow-billed kite). Their heads and necks are a bit on the lighter side, with some having grayish-brown streaks. The Black Kite is a medium- to large-sized, widely distributed bird of prey.īlack Kites are generally dark brown in coloring.
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