Hawks and Eagles (Accipitridae)
Common Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus) - HBW 2, p. 115
French: Élanion blanc
German: Gleitaar
Spanish: Elanio Común
Other common names: Black shouldered/Black winged Kite
Taxonomy: Falco caeruleus Desfontaines, 1789, Algiers.
Genus closely related to Chelictinia. Forms superspecies with E. leucurus and E. axillaris, and all three sometimes considered conspecific. Race hypoleucus has been considered separate species. Birds of Sumatra have been awarded separate race, sumatranus, but validity doubtful. Four subspecies normally recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- caeruleus (Desfontaines, 1789) - SW Iberian Peninsula, most of Africa and SW Arabia.
- vociferus (Latham, 1790) - Pakistan E to S & E China, Indochina and Malay Peninsula.
- hypoleucus Gould, 1859 - Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Philippines, Sulawesi, Kalao and Lesser Sundas.
- wahgiensis Mayr & Gilliard, 1954 - New Guinea.
- Least Concern
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Adult birds male & female and mating with calls Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 May 2006 37 weeks ago 18 sec 4.5 -
A close-up of a bird perched on a branch Arrocampo, Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain
Javier Ortas 10 January 2009 1 year ago 30 sec 4.5 -
An adult perched on a dead tree Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India (ssp vociferus)
Jean Hupperetz 31 October 2004 5 years ago 47 sec 4.4 -
An adult bird in a high tree eating a Golden Bush Rat Gujarat, India (ssp vociferus)
Ron Hoff 7 February 2008 2 years ago 38 sec 4.4 -
Pair feeding on a rat Jaipur, Rajasthan, India (ssp vociferus)
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 July 2006 30 weeks ago 42 sec 4.3 -
A close-up of a bird Arrocampo, Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain
Javier Ortas 10 January 2009 1 year ago 30 sec 4.3
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With his kill Arakhiya Farm, Qatar
John A Thompson 18 September 2009 10 weeks ago 4.3 -
An adult perched. Gudalur, The Nilgiris District, Tamil Nadu, India (ssp vociferus)
Josep del Hoyo 9 December 2009 17 weeks ago 4 -
A bird perched on an electric cable Bhavani Sagar, Erode District, Tamil Nadu, India (ssp vociferous)
vasanthan.p.j 11 April 2010 20 weeks ago 4 -
This Kite was perched on a leafless tree and surveying the grass-lands around for prey. It preys on lizards and small rodents. Mysore, Karnataka, India
Ragoorao 15 December 2009 35 weeks ago 3.8 -
Common Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus) on a wire in Little Rann of Kutch in Gujrat, India Little Rann of Kutch, Surendranagar District, Gujarat, India
aatur 15 November 2009 38 weeks ago 3.7 -
Bird guarding it's prey Serengeti National Park, Serengeti, Tanzania
Jim Watt 2 March 2009 1 year ago 3.3
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Calls of male, female and while mating Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 May 2005 34 weeks ago 4
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