| Red Kite | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Accipitriformes |
| Family: | Accipitridae |
| Genus: | Milvus |
| Species: | Milvus milvus |
The Red Kite (milvus milvus) is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is closely related to the Black Kite.
Description
The red kite has a rusty-brown body with white patches in the underwings and gray head. It is slightly bigger than a Buzzard, and has proportionately longer and more narrow wings. The tail is very forked. Sexes and juveniles look alike and have similar dimensions. This bird's talons and beak are quite weak, because red kites are often scavengers.
Behavior
The Red Kite is a quite "lazy" and opportunist predator, eating carrion (often in association with vultures and corvids), fish (sometimes scavengered), small rodents, lizards, birds (rarely), insects and trash. It often soars over lakes and rivers looking for fish, and sometimes steals fish from other birds. It can form big flocks, expecially on migration. Red Kites live in Eurasia and are migratory birds. Red Kites from the UK or from north Europe migrate to Spain, North Africa and other warm areas; Red Kites that still live in warm zones (North Africa, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy, South-West Asia) usually make short migrations or stay where they are.