Black-winged Kite
Black-winged KiteBlack-winged KiteBlack-winged KiteBlack-winged Kite

Black-winged Kite

Elanus caeruleus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
20–30% · Possible
overall probability at Masai Mara National Reserve
717 Verified records at Masai Mara National Reserve
January Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 →

20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Black-winged Kite sighting in Masai Mara National Reserve, based on 717 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Masai Mara National Reserve

White-backed Vulture
CR

White-backed Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gyps africanus

40–50% · Likely
Bateleur
EN

Bateleur

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Terathopius ecaudatus

40–50% · Likely
Tawny Eagle
VU

Tawny Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aquila rapax

30–40% · Possible
Lappet-faced Vulture
EN

Lappet-faced Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Torgos tracheliotos

30–40% · Possible
Black-breasted Snake Eagle
LC

Black-breasted Snake Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Circaetus pectoralis

20–30% · Possible
Hooded Vulture
CR

Hooded Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Necrosyrtes monachus

20–30% · Possible
Ruppell's griffon

Ruppell's griffon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gyps rueppellii

10–20% · With luck
African Fish-Eagle
LC

African Fish-Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haliaeetus vocifer

10–20% · With luck
Martial Eagle
EN

Martial Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Polemaetus bellicosus

10–20% · With luck
Dark Chanting-Goshawk
LC

Dark Chanting-Goshawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melierax metabates

10–20% · With luck
Brown Snake Eagle
LC

Brown Snake Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Circaetus cinereus

10–20% · With luck
Augur Buzzard
LC

Augur Buzzard

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo augur

10–20% · With luck

📅 Monthly Probability

30–40
Jan
20–30
Feb
20–30
Mar
10–20
Apr
20–30
May
10–20
Jun
20–30
Jul
20–30
Aug
20–30
Sep
20–30
Oct
30–40
Nov
20–30
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

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

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
40–50%
2 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
40–50%
3 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
30–40%
4 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
30–40%
5 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
30–40%
6 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
30–40%
7 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
20–30%
8 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
20–30%
9 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
10 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
20–30%
11 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
20–30%
12 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
20–30%
13 Horton Plains National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
20–30%
14 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
15 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
20–30%
16 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
20–30%
17 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
20–30%
18 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
19 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
10–20%
20 Kerinci Seblat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
10–20%
21 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
22 Way Kambas National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
10–20%
23 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
24 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
10–20%
25 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
26 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
10–20%
27 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
28 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
10–20%
29 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
30 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
10–20%
31 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
32 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
33 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
5–10%
34 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
5–10%
35 Eravikulam National Park 🇮🇳 India
5–10%
36 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
5–10%
37 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
5–10%
38 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
5–10%
39 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
5–10%
40 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
5–10%
41 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
5–10%
42 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
5–10%
43 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
5–10%
44 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
5–10%
45 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
5–10%
46 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
5–10%
47 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
5–10%
48 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
5–10%
49 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
5–10%
50 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
<5%
51 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
52 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
<5%
53 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
<5%
54 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
<5%
55 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
<5%
56 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
57 Periyar National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
58 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
59 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
60 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
<5%
61 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
62 Wilpattu National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
63 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
64 Ba Be National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
<5%
65 Minneriya National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
66 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
67 Namdapha National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
68 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
69 Yala National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
70 Sundarbans National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
71 Semuliki National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
72 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
<5%
73 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
74 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
75 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
<5%
76 Taroko National Park 🇹🇼 Taiwan
<5%
77 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
78 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
79 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
80 Lorentz National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data
81 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
Insufficient data
82 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
83 Bale Mountains National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
Insufficient data
84 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
Insufficient data
85 Bali Barat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data
86 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
87 Khao Sok National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
Insufficient data
88 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
89 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
Insufficient data
90 Kinabalu Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
Insufficient data
91 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
Insufficient data
92 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
93 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Black-winged Kite in Masai Mara National Reserve?

About 25% of wildlife watchers report a Black-winged Kite sighting in Masai Mara National Reserve, based on 717 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Black-winged Kite in Masai Mara National Reserve?

January has the highest sighting rate for Black-winged Kite in Masai Mara National Reserve in our monthly data.

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