Black-winged Kite
Elanus caeruleus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAccipitriformes
- FamilyAccipitridae (Accipítrids)
- GenusElanus (Elanus Kites)
- SpeciesElanus caeruleus (Black-winged Kite)
The black-winged kite (Elanus caeruleus), also known as the black-shouldered kite (not to be confused with the closely related Australian species of the same name), is a small diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae best known for its habit of hovering over open grasslands in the manner of the much smaller kestrels. This Palearctic and Afrotropical species was sometimes combined with the Australian black-shouldered kite (Elanus axillaris) and the white-tailed kite (Elanus leucurus) of North and South America which together form a superspecies. This kite is distinctive, with long wings; white, grey and black plumage; and owl-like forward-facing eyes with red irises. The owl-like behaviour is even more pronounced in the letter-winged kite (Elanus scriptus), a nocturnal relative in Australia. Although mainly seen on plains, they are sometimes seen on grassy slopes of hills in the higher elevation regions of Asia. They are not migratory, but show nomadism in response to weather and food availability. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Khao Sok National Park
Crested Serpent Eagle
Spilornis cheela
Oriental Honey-buzzard
Pernis ptilorhynchus
Brahminy Kite
Haliastur indus
White-Bellied Sea-Eagle
Haliaeetus leucogaster
Wallace's Hawk-Eagle
Nisaetus nanus
Gray-headed Fish-Eagle
Icthyophaga ichthyaetus
Rufous-bellied Eagle
Lophotriorchis kienerii
Bat Hawk
Macheiramphus alcinus
Black Baza
Aviceda leuphotes
Blyth's Hawk-Eagle
Nisaetus alboniger
Jerdon's Baza
Aviceda jerdoni
Gray-faced Buzzard
Butastur indicus
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of Black-winged Kite at Khao Sok National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there