Hawks and Eagles (Accipitridae)

Australian Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris) - HBW 2, p. 115

French: Élanion d'Australie German: Australischer Gleitaar Spanish: Elanio Australiano

Taxonomy: Falco axillaris Latham, 1801, Sydney, New South Wales.
Sometimes regarded as race of E. caeruleus, with which it forms superspecies, along with E. leucurus; separated by plumage. Has been called E. notatus on the grounds that Latham's axillaris was supposedly unidentifiable and could have applied to E. scriptus, but the illustration examined by Latham clearly does not depict scriptus. Monotypic.

Distribution: Australia.