Black Kite

The Black Kite is a medium-sized bird of prey with dark brown feathers that look almost black in dim light, which helps to tell it apart from the similar Red Kite. Its most noticeable feature is its tail, which has a shallow fork, not as deeply split as the Red Kite’s. When flying, the wings have a distinct angled shape with pale patches on the underside of the main flight feathers. The head looks relatively small, and the beak is modest compared to other birds of prey of a similar size. The Black Kite is found widely across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. It is one of the most common birds of prey in the world, although it is only an occasional visitor to Britain. These birds prefer wetlands, river valleys, and open countryside. They often gather near towns and villages where they look for food scraps and other opportunities to scavenge. They are very social birds, especially during migration, when thousands of them can be seen flying along main routes. The Black Kite shows a great ability to live in areas changed by people. It is often seen soaring over towns and cities within its range.