Elanus caeruleus
Silhouette: Catherine Yasuda · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
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. Wikipedia →
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Safari World | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 2 | Bandung Zoo | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 3 | Dullstroom Bird Of Prey & Rehabilitation Centre | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Kuala Lumpur Bird Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 5 | Zoo del Pirineu | 🇪🇸 Spain |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-winged Kite sighting in Johannesburg on a given day, based on 471 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 51st most-seen of the 219 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and June–July
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Black-winged Kite in Johannesburg on a given day, against about 10% in May and August–March, the lowest months. Those are among Johannesburg's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain a month against 130 mm in December.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-winged Kite sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
15th of 99
Of the 99 cities where we can rate Black-winged Kite sightings, Johannesburg ranks 15th at about 10%. The best odds are in Quanzhou (China, about 40%), Luxor (Egypt, about 40%) and Vasai-Virar (India, about 40%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-winged Kite is recorded against all the birds logged in Johannesburg (471 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
