Listen to the black-winged kite
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the black-winged kite
The black-winged kite is a bird in the family Accipitridae (order Accipitriformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults have a wingspan of about 83 cm and weigh around 21 g.
What does the black-winged kite sound like?
Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once. Songs tend to be long and patterned and are used to hold territory and attract a mate; calls are short signals for contact, alarm and flight.
From Wikipedia
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. They are well adapted to utilize periodic upsurges in rodent populations and can raise multiple broods in a single year unlike most birds of prey. Populations in southern Europe have grown in response to human activities, particularly agriculture and livestock rearing. It is now present in Southwest France.
More from the family Accipitridae
Golden eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
Eurasian sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisus
Eurasian goshawk
Astur gentilis
Black kite
Milvus migrans
Common buzzard
Buteo buteo
Bald eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Eurasian griffon vulture
Gyps fulvus
Red kite
Milvus milvus
Hen harrier
Circus cyaneus
Short-toed snake eagle
Circaetus gallicus
Booted eagle
Hieraaetus pennatus
Bonelli's eagle
Aquila fasciata
Frequently asked questions
What does a black-winged kite sound like?
You can hear 2 recordings of the black-winged kite on this page. Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once.
Is the black-winged kite endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the black-winged kite as “least concern”.
What family does the black-winged kite belong to?
The black-winged kite (Elanus caeruleus) belongs to the family Accipitridae in the order Accipitriformes.
Sources & credits
- Elanus caeruleus caeruleus, 2023-04-01 08h01, 2 roep te Buffelsdrift, a by JMK – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Elanus caeruleus caeruleus, 2023-04-01 08h09, roep te Buffelsdrift, a by JMK – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q27227 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Black-winged kite – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by J.M.Garg – CC BY-SA 4.0