Photo: Rick elis.simpson / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Rufous-thighed Kite
Harpagus diodon
Rufous-thighed Kite (Harpagus diodon) — Birds of Prey of South America.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Rufous-thighed Kite (Harpagus diodon) is a member of the Accipitridae family found in South America. Adults weigh 200 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Accipitriformes
- Family Accipitridae Kites, Hawks, Eagles
- Genus Harpagus
- Species diodon
Quick facts
- Weight
- 200 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Rufous-thighed Kite is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Rufous-thighed Kite is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Rufous-thighed Kite (Harpagus diodon) belongs to the Accipitridae family of the order Accipitriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA e Amazonia and se SA.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 200 g, with a wing length of about 20.1 cm and a tail of around 15.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 2.3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Rufous-thighed Kite?
The Rufous-thighed Kite is a large bird that weighs around 200 g.
Where does the Rufous-thighed Kite live?
The Rufous-thighed Kite is found across South America with a range covering SA e Amazonia and se SA, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Rufous-thighed Kite belong to?
The Rufous-thighed Kite (Harpagus diodon) belongs to the Accipitridae family, in the order Accipitriformes.
What does the Rufous-thighed Kite eat?
The Rufous-thighed Kite is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Rufous-thighed Kite migrate?
The Rufous-thighed Kite is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Rufous-thighed Kite endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Rufous-thighed Kite make?
1 real field recording of the Rufous-thighed Kite — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Rufous-thighed Kite's range?
The Rufous-thighed Kite has a mapped global range of about 2.3 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Accipitridae
A field guide to the Accipitridae family — 254 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.