Anybody in India will think I am daft posting this. After all black kites are as common in India as say wood pigeons in th UK. However I am posting this as they are quite rare in Europe. I have only seen them in the Danube valley in Bavaria or in the Camargue in France.
Like the (for us in the UK) more familiar red kites they have a slighltly larger than buzzards and a more distinct 'finger' feather pattern at the wing tips. There is a forking of the tail but less pronounced than with the red kite.
The head is a lighter colour than the body and there are pale patches on the wing undersides. However these contrasts in colour are much less distinct than with a red kite. The general impression is of a dark brown bird.
I went with a colleague to the science museum in Hyderabad which is on the top of a rock outcrop. It was quite common to see 20 kites overflying at different heights. Despite that I did not find it easy to photograph them. He said that they performed the very useful function of eating rats.
Overelooking the city there was one point when there appeared to be a massive flock of several hundred kites over one district. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take our cameras into the museum so no photo was possible.
are so cute! But wild, that's why we're not feeding them! Were 7 eggs and borned 6 babies, one didn't. All are surviving!!!! I love these type of birds too, and the others.
Last year the birds had the babies earlier, by May, i guess they are w/a taruma or so bcz this year they layed the eggs too late! Only by June, then they borned last week, on wednesday.
2008-07-03 @ 11:57