Black Kite

The black kite is a medium-sized bird of prey, thought to be the most abundant member of its family in the world, with an estimated population of up to 6.7 million. It is generally dark brown, with a paler head and neck, a darker patch behind the eye, black outer flight feathers and streaked, pale brown underparts. The cere and legs are yellow and the bill black. Its angled wings and shallowly forked tail make it easy to identify, and it is told from the red kite by its smaller size, less forked tail and lack of rufous. It weighs about 735g on average (Wikipedia, general species account).

Unlike most of its relatives it is an opportunistic hunter and often a scavenger, spending much of its time gliding on thermals in search of food. It is noisy, with a shrill whistle followed by a rapid whinnying call. It is widely distributed through temperate and tropical Eurasia and parts of Australasia and Oceania, and temperate populations tend to migrate (Wikipedia, general species account).