![]() ![]() European birds are the nominate migrans, also called Western Black Kite, whereas Far Eastern birds from China and Japan are lineatus, known as Black-eared Kite, which is regarded by some as a full species.īetween Black and Black-eared Kites is a wide transition zone, from Russia to Mongolia and western China, where these two forms interbreed, resulting in a recognisable hybrid form: Eastern Black Kite. However, several Black Kite forms are found within the boundaries of the Western Palaearctic. Once you familiarise yourself with the juvenile and adult plumages of the species, that knowledge will apply to all birds anywhere in Europe. Red Kite looks the same across its entire range from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean. Getting to grips with this variation is one of the keys to safely separating the two species. In Black Kite, however, both individual and geographical variation are extensive. Plumage-wise Red Kite is the less variable of the two, as there is little individual or geographical variation. In a wider context, Red Kite is a western, typically European species, while Black has a huge range extending across the entire Palaearctic region from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.Īlthough the two are quite different, misidentifications do occur. In Britain the former is an increasing resident, while Black is a rare visitor, mostly seen in spring and autumn. This bird is showing the typical upperparts of adult Red Kite, with a bright cinnamon and deeply forked tail, contrasting light head and dark upperwings, except for the distinctly marked rufous coverts (Dick Forsman).Įurope has two species of Milvus kites: Red Kite and Black Kite. Dick Forsman offers all the advice you need to confidently recognise these species in all plumages.Īdult Red Kite (Pyrenees, Spain, 1 November 2017). The outlying possibility of both Asian and African subspecies, plus hybrids, further complicates the picture. The very unfamiliarity of the latter means that it could be overlooked, especially with distant views. ![]() However, identification can be made trickier by the much rarer Black Kite. After almost having been lost in Britain, Red Kite is an increasingly familiar sight across the country – a real conservation success. ![]()
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