Double-toothed Kite (Harpagus bidentatus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Harpagus ("rapacious person, harpy") bidentatus ("two toothed")

Double-toothed Kite (Harpagus bidentatus) at Carara National Park, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Harpagus bidentatus fasciatus
Weight: g/kg  /  Length: 29-35cm  /  Wingspan: 60-72cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Double-toothed kites are specialist predators of rainforest interiors, primarily snatching prey from branches, primarily insects but will, as seen here, also take small vertebrates including frogs and lizards. Despite the name, the name "kite" doesn't have any particular taxonomic significance as it is applied to a wide range of species across numerous taxons, many of which are only distantly related to each other.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Harpagus
SUBSPECIES: H. b. bidentatus, H. b. fasciatus
 

- Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA - Spanish - Milano Bidentado ("Two-toothed Kite")
Widespread resident of lowlands
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at Carara National Park

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Elanus ("kite") leucurus ("white-tailed")

Adult White-tailed Kite (subspecies E. l. majusculus) at Berkeley, California - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: Elanus leucurus majusculus
Weight: 250-380g  /  Length: 35-43cm  /  Wingspan: 88-102cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A bird which reaches the very Northern edge of it's range at southern peripheraries of the United States, most of its range, which is found throughout much territory between there and the Northern edge of Patagonia. They are primarily rodent hunters, and, like is not uncommon for species specialising in that, they can cover to allow them to spot prey.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Elanus
SUBSPECIES: E. l. majusculus, E. l. leucurus

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Found in coast adjacent parts of California, Texas, Oregon and Louisiana, and the Southern tip of Florida.
- CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Berkeley

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus)

OTHER NAMES: Red-backed Sea-Eagle

Latin Etymology: Haliastur ("sea-hawk") indus ("Indian")

Adult Brahminy Kite (subspecies H. i. intermedius) over Sungei Buloh, Singapore - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: Haliastur indus intermedius
Weight: 320-670g  /  Length: 43-51cm  /  Wingspan: 109-124cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Brahminy Kite is the most common widespread raptor in Malaysia, at least in terms of the one most likely to be seen in urban areas, however, it is distinctly less common than the Kites of Europe and Japan - usually only one or two seen distantly compared to the common presence of Black Kite in Spain and Japan or Red Kite in the UK.  This is in part due to the fact it is more a coastal bird, than the above.  It is also a distinctive looking bird, but lacks the forked tail of the more familiar northerly species.  It is also a species with considerable cultural associations - it is considered the representative of Garuda in Hinduism as well as featuring in the mythology of several places in the region.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Haliastur
SUBSPECIES: H. i. indus, H. i. flavirostris, H. i. girrenera, H. i. intermedius

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - Malay - Helang Merah ("Red Eagle")

Widespread in low densities.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: Usually one or two seen daily, including in Kuala Lumpur and Malacca

SINGAPORE - A reasonably common resident.

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: Several over Sungei Buloh

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus)

OTHER NAMES: Black Shouldered Kite (this is inaccurate: this properly refers to it's closely related Australian counterpart)

Latin Etymology: Elanus ("kite") caeruleus ("dark blue/cerulean")

                                                Adult Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus) at Arrocampo, Spain - April 2016 

Featured Subspecies: Elanus caeruleus caeruleus

Weight: 290g  /  Length: 35-38cm  /  Wingspan: 31-37cm

NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern 

By far the smallest of the Kite species found in Europe, it is also by far the most localized, found only in the Western half of Spain, a segment of Portugal and apparently a small enclave in France.  That being said, this is a species with a huge if very patchy distribution; outside of Europe it is found across South and South East Asia and almost all of Sub-Saharan Africa, along with along the Nile in Egypt, some of the North African Coast and a segment of China.  It is a more active predator than the Black and Red Kites - sometimes hovering in an almost Kestrel like manner to detect prey, which consists of various small animals.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Elanus
Subspecies: E. c. caeruleus, E. c. vociferus, E. c. hypoleucus, E. c. wahgiensis

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer - ស្ទាំងលលក ("Dove hawk")

A resident.

SINGAPORE / CAMBODIA 2019 TRIP - One seen distantly at Florican Grassland Reserve

MALAYSIA - Malay - Helang Tikus - ("Mouse Eagle")

A fairly common resident in low densities

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: Birds seen from motorways between Kuala Lumpur and Malacca

SPAIN - Spanish - Elanio Azul - ("Blue Kite")

Scarce and Local Resident

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Seen at Oropesa (1 adult, perched) and Arrocampo (1 adult, perched)

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Milvus ("kite") migrans ("migrating")

  Black Kite (subspecies M. m. lineatus) at Kamakura, Japan - November 2014

Featured Subspecies: Black-eared Kite (Milvus migrans lineatus)

Weight: 560-940kg  /  Length: 48-58cm  /  Wingspan: 130-155cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List - Least Concern

Despite it's absence from the UK except as a vagrant, the Black Kite is a massively common bird of prey when viewed on the global level, potentially the most abundant (though not widespread) of all raptors in general.  It is much more of a scavenger than most other birds of prey, which is part of the reason for its comparative success in the modern world.  Black Kites can be found across Europe, Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Australia.  In Japan, where I encountered the species they could be spotted circling around the fringes of cities.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Milvus
Subspecies:  M. m. migrans, M. m. lineatus, M. m. govinda, M. m. affinis, M. m. formosanus

 - Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - トビ  /  Tobi  ("Kite")  

Common resident.

 - KYOTO/OSAKA 2013 TRIP: Seen at throughout at random times in Kyoto and Osaka

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Abundant at Kamakura, several seen in Tokyo and a number seen at the Akan Crane Centre

SPAIN - Spanish - Milano negro - ("Black Kite")

Scarce and Local Resident

 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: Seen several times in Madrid and the surrounding farmlands
 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Abundant at  Monfrague and seen in numerous places elsewhere.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Red Kite (Milvus milvus)

OTHER NAMES: Fork-tail,  Puttock, Baegez

Latin Etymology: Milvus ("kite") milvus ("kite")

Adult Red Kite (subspecies M. m. milvus) at Geddington, Northants - November 2011

Featured Subspecies: Milvus milvus milvus
Weight: 800-1300g  /  Length: 60-70cm  /  Wingspan: 175-179cm

UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List Near Threatened

Now realistically for me, Red Kite's are no longer elusive, in fact I see them practically every day I walk from my house for any distance, yet I realise that nationally they are still still expanding their range, although it has got to the point where I have seen them in many counties. I'd still suggest around the Kettering/Corby area of Northamptonshire if you are really struggling to see them and don't want to go to Wales - the birds here are established and used to people and so great views are possible.  They do however still face threats - the bird in this photo had suffered a minor poisoning from eating something it shouldn't have and had to be taken into care.  I also saw this species in both trips to Spain, but as with buzzards, the sheer variety of large raptors (including it's locally more common cousin, the black kite) keeps them dominating in the same way they do in my area.

Related Species: 
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Milvinae
Genus: Milvus
Subspecies: M. m. milvus, M. m. fasciicausa*

 - Sighting Locations -
UNITED KINGDOM - Breeding resident increasing following reintroduction (3000+ pairs)

 - Birds seen in a number of locations, but most regularly around Geddington.

SPAIN - Spanish - Milano reál ("Royal Kite")

Fairly common resident.

 - SEVILLE 2011 TRIP: A single bird at El Rocio
 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: Several on farmland North of Madrid 
 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Several on farmland near Madrid 

* It is currently unclear as to whether this represents a subspecies of Red or Black Kite, or a hybrid of the two or a species in it's own right. 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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