Photo: Tisha Mukherjee / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black Kite
Milvus migrans
Black Kite (Milvus migrans) — Birds of Prey of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 19 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black Kite (Milvus migrans) is a member of the Accipitridae family found in Africa, Australia & Oceania and Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 734 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 Milvus
- Species migrans
Quick facts
- Weight
- 734 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black Kite is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of open woodland, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Black Kite is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Black Kite (Milvus migrans) is a member of the Accipitridae family, within the order Accipitriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa, Australia & Oceania and Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL, AF, OR, AU widespread.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 734 g, with a wing length of about 45.7 cm and a tail of around 27 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 59.2 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black Kite?
The Black Kite is a large bird that weighs around 734 g.
Where does the Black Kite live?
The Black Kite is found across Africa, Australia & Oceania and Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL, AF, OR, AU widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black Kite belong to?
The Black Kite (Milvus migrans) belongs to the Accipitridae family, in the order Accipitriformes.
What does the Black Kite eat?
The Black Kite is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Black Kite migrate?
The Black Kite is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Black 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 Black Kite make?
1 real field recording of the Black 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 Black Kite's range?
The Black Kite has a mapped global range of about 59.2 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.