Field record
Black Kite
Milvus migrans
The kites nest where I can see them from the balcony. It started with a piece of chicken left on the ledge, then tossing it up and watching them take it mid-air. Now they know the signal: when I wave, they come. Wild birds of prey that have decided to trust a window.
- Location
- From my balcony, Bangalore
- Coordinates
- 12.97° N · 77.59° E
- Recorded
- Ongoing
Field guideLeast Concern
A bold opportunist, it scavenges at rubbish dumps and abattoirs and will pirate food from other birds in mid-air.
- Family
- Accipitridae (hawks, kites, eagles)
- Length
- 47–60 cm
- Wingspan
- 130–155 cm
- Diet
- Carrion, refuse, fish, small mammals, insects, small birds
- Range
- Widespread across temperate and tropical Eurasia, Africa, and Australasia; northern populations migratory