Photo: Michael Graf / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Red Kite
Milvus milvus
Red Kite (Milvus milvus) — Birds of Prey of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Red Kite (Milvus milvus) is a member of the Accipitridae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 1.1 kg.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Accipitriformes
- Family Accipitridae Kites, Hawks, Eagles
- Genus Milvus
- Species milvus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1.1 kg
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Red Kite is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Red Kite is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Red Kite (Milvus milvus) is a member of the Accipitridae family, within the order Accipitriformes. Its range spans Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL Europe.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.1 kg, with a wing length of about 48.2 cm and a tail of around 31.7 cm.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Red Kite?
The Red Kite is a very large bird that weighs around 1.1 kg.
Where does the Red Kite live?
The Red Kite is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL Europe, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Red Kite belong to?
The Red Kite (Milvus milvus) belongs to the Accipitridae family, in the order Accipitriformes.
What does the Red Kite eat?
The Red Kite is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Red Kite migrate?
The Red Kite is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
What sound does the Red Kite make?
1 real field recording of the Red Kite — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Red Kite's range?
The Red Kite has a mapped global range of about 1.7 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.
Explore more birds
More in Accipitridae
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Endangered
Critically Endangered
Near Threatened
More in Birds of Prey
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
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.