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 →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-winged Kite sighting in Mudumalai National Park, based on 21 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Mudumalai National Park
Indian White-rumped Vulture
Gyps bengalensis
Black Kite
Milvus migrans
Crested Serpent Eagle
Spilornis cheela
Brahminy Kite
Haliastur indus
Red-headed Vulture
Sarcogyps calvus
Oriental Honey-buzzard
Pernis ptilorhynchus
Crested Hawk-Eagle
Nisaetus cirrhatus
Black Eagle
Ictinaetus malayensis
Greater Spotted Eagle
Aquila clanga
Steppe Eagle
Aquila nipalensis
Bonelli's Eagle
Aquila fasciata
Booted Eagle
Hieraaetus pennatus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ 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
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Black-winged Kite in Mudumalai National Park?
About 3% of wildlife watchers report a Black-winged Kite sighting in Mudumalai National Park, based on 21 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Black-winged Kite in Mudumalai National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Black-winged Kite in Mudumalai National Park in our monthly data.