What is the characteristic of white kite?

A largely pale raptor easily identified by its entirely white tail and black shoulder patches. Note the white head and red eyes (visible at close range). Sexes are similar. Hovers above open areas while hunting small mammals.

Are white-tailed kites rare?

Conservation. White-tailed Kites are relatively common, but their populations declined by 36% between 1970 and 2014, according to Partners in Flight. The estimated global breeding population is 2 million.

Are white-tailed kites monogamous?

White-tailed Kites form a monogamous pair in December, and the pair stays together year round. Nest building starts in January. Both members of the pair help build the nest, which is made of twigs and lined with grass, weeds, or leaves. The male brings food to the female as she incubates 4 eggs for 30-32 days.

Do Kites have red eyes?

It is a blackish or slate-coloured bird, about 50 cm long, with red eyes and white tail-base.

How tall is a white-tailed kite?

The coloration of the white-tailed kite is gull-like, but its shape and flight is falcon-like, with a rounded tail. Mainly white underneath, it has black wingtips and shoulders. A mid-sized kite, it measures 35–43 cm (14–17 in) in length, spans 88–102 cm (35–40 in) across the wings and weighs 250–380 g (8.8–13.4 oz).

How big is a white-tailed kite?

280 gAdult
White-tailed kite/Mass

Is a white-tailed kite a raptor?

Not often confused with other raptors, the White-tailed kite can be identified in the field fairly easily. These small-bodied raptors are unique in their hover-hunting style. Rarely seen perch-hunting, like other raptors, these birds hover 5-25 meters off the ground, both early and late in the day.

How big is a white tailed kite?

What does a white tailed kite eat?

Mostly small rodents. Specializes on small rodents that are active by day in open country, particularly voles and house mice. Other items in diet, mostly of minor importance, include pocket gophers, harvest mice, rats, shrews, young rabbits, sometimes birds. Rarely may eat snakes, lizards, frogs, large insects.

What Colour eyes do red kites have?

The head and throat are pale grey with dark streaks. Red kites have a hooked yellow bill with a dark tip, the eyes are pale yellow with a yellow eye-ring, and the legs and feet are yellow. Males and females are similar although the female is slightly paler.

Is a white-tailed kite a falcon?

The coloration of the white-tailed kite is gull-like, but its shape and flight is falcon-like, with a rounded tail. Mainly white underneath, it has black wingtips and shoulders.

What does a kite look like?

A kite is traditionally defined as a four-sided, flat shape with two pairs of adjacent sides that are equal to each other. See, a kite shape looks like a diamond whose middle has been shifted upwards a bit. The top two sides are equal to each other in length, as are the bottom two sides.