Brahminy Kite

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Haliastur
Species: H. indus
Binomial name
Haliastur indus

_The Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus), also known as the Red-backed Sea-eagle, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harriers.
_This kite is a familiar sight in the skies of India and southeast Asia and as far south as New South Wales, Australia, through which region it is widespread and resident.
_It has a typical kite flight, with wings angled, but its tail is rounded unlike the Milvus species, Red Kite and Black Kite, which have forked tails.
_The Brahminy Kite is an attractive bird, with chestnut plumage except for the white head and breast and black wing tips.
The juveniles are browner, but can be distinguished from both the resident and migratory races of Black Kite in Asia by the paler appearance, shorter wings and rounded tail.
_This species nests in trees, often close to water.
It feeds as a scavenger.
_Known as elang bondol in Indonesia, the Brahminy Kite is the official mascot of Jakarta.
It is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
In Malaysia, the island of Langkawi is named after the bird ('kawi' describing an ochre-like stone used to decorate pottery, and a reference to the bird's primary plumage colour).

Conservation status
Least Concern

Redactie: info(at)rijskamp.com                           
Cagayan de Oro June 22, 2007

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