Kite (bird)

Kite () is the common name for certain birds of prey in the family Accipitridae, particularly in subfamilies Milvinae, [], and Perninae."kite". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2014 . The term is derived from Old English ''cȳta'' (“kite; bittern”), from the Proto-Indo-European root *''gū- '', "screech."

Some authors use the terms "hovering kite" and "soaring kite" to distinguish between ''Elanus'' and the milvine kites, respectively. The group may also be differentiated by size, referring to milvine kites as "large kites", and elanine kites as "small kites".

Species

* Subfamily Elaninae
** Genus '' Elanus''
*** Black-winged kite, ''Elanus caeruleus''
*** Black-shouldered kite, ''Elanus axillaris''
*** White-tailed kite, ''Elanus leucurus''
*** Letter-winged kite, ''Elanus scriptus''
** Genus '' Chelictinia''
*** Scissor-tailed kite, ''Chelictinia riocourii''
** Genus '' Gampsonyx''
*** Pearl kite, ''Gampsonyx swainsonii''
* Subfamily Harpiinae
** Genus '' Machaerhamphus''
*** Bat hawk, ''Machaerhamphus alcinus'' – traditionally Elaninae or Falconinae
* Subfamily Elaninae or Perninae
** Genus ''Elanoides'' – often classified in Perninae
*** Swallow-tailed kite, ''Elanoides forficatus''
* Subfamily Milvinae
** Genus ''Haliastur''
*** Whistling kite, ''Haliastur sphenurus''
*** Brahminy kite, ''Haliastur indus''
** Genus ''Milvus''
*** Red kite, ''Milvus milvus''
**** Cape Verde kite, ''Milvus (milvus) fasciicauda'' – extinct (2000)
*** Black kite, ''Milvus migrans''
*** Black-eared kite, ''Milvus (migrans) lineatus''
*** Yellow-billed kite, ''Milvus (migrans) aegyptius''
* Subfamily Milvinae or Buteoninae, or tribe Harpagini
** Genus ''Harpagus''
*** Double-toothed kite, ''Harpagus bidentatus''
*** Rufous-thighed kite, ''Harpagus diodon''
* Subfamily Milvinae or Buteoninae
** Genus ''Ictinia''
*** Mississippi kite, ''Ictinia mississippiensis''
*** Plumbeous kite, ''Ictinia plumbea''
** Genus ''Rostrhamus''
*** Snail kite, ''Rostrhamus sociabilis''
** Genus '' Helicolestes''
*** Slender-billed kite, ''Helicolestes hamatus'' – formerly in ''Rostrhamus''
* Subfamily Milvinae or Perninae
** Genus ''Lophoictinia''
*** Square-tailed kite, ''Lophoictinia isura''
** Genus '' Hamirostra''
*** Black-breasted buzzard, ''Hamirostra melanosternon''

A few of the traditional Perninae'' ''are also called kites.

* Genus '' Leptodon''
** Grey-headed kite, ''Leptodon cayanensis''
** White-collared kite, ''Leptodon forbesi''
* Genus ''Chondrohierax''
** Hook-billed kite, ''Chondrohierax uncinatus''
** Cuban kite, ''Chondrohierax wilsonii''

Taxonomy and systematics

19th century

In 1824, Vigors proposed five divisions or ''stirpes'' of the family Falconidae: Aquilina (eagles), Accipitrina (hawks), Falconina (falcons), Buteonina (buzzards) and Milvina (kites, containing two genera ''Elanus'' and ''Milvus''). He characterized the kites as having weaker bill and feebler talons than the buzzards, tail more or less forked, and wings longer than the tail.

In ''Elanus'', he grouped the black-winged kite (now several ''Elanus'' spp.), scissor-tailed kite (now ''Chelictinia''), and swallow-tailed kite (now ''Elanoides''). These species all have pointed wings with the second primary the longest. The pattern of scales on the legs (acrotarsi) is reticulated, and the toes are separated. But Vigors noted that only the black-winged kite had rounded undersides on the nails of its talons, a trait found in the osprey but not in any other raptors, and thus suggested a separation of ''Elanus'' into two sections. A year later, he established a separate genus '' Nauclerus'' for the scissor- and swallow-tailed kites.

''Milvus'' contained the familiar red and black kites. The fourth primary feather is the longest, leg scales are scutellated, and the exterior toe is united to the middle toe by a membrane.

Vigors placed ''Ictinia'' – "the ''Milan Cresserelle'' of M. Vieillot" and "the ''Mississippi Kite'' of Mr. Wilson" – into Buteonina. Though noting that "the wings are of considerable length, extending far beyond the tail, a character which has induced M. Vieillot and others to place this bird near the ''Kites''", he wrote that the strong affinity in characteristics and manners warranted it to be placed closer to the falcons.

20th century

Swann's 1922 synopsis grouped all the kites together with the "cuckoo-falcons" and honey buzzards into a large Milvinæ subfamily. His order was: ''Elanoides'', ''Chelictinia'', ''Milvus'', ''Lophoictinia'', ''Rostrhamus'', ''Helicolestes'', ''Chondrohierax'', ''Odontriorchis'', ''Gypoictinia'' (=''Hamirostra''), ''Elanus'', ''Gampsonyx'', ''Ictinia'', ''Harpagus'', ''Baza'', ''Aviceda'', ''Henicopernis'', ''Machærhamphus'', ''Pernis''.

In contrast, Peters grouped the large kites into subfamily Milvinae and most small kites into Elaninae, with a few small kites joining the honey-buzzards and bazas in Perninae. His arrangement of kite genera was as follows:

*Elaninae: ''Elanus'', ''Chelictinia'', ''Machaerhamphus''.
*Perninae: ''Elanoïdes'', (''Aviceda'', ''Henicopernis'', ''Pernis'', ''Odontotriorchis''), ''Chondrohierax''.
*Milvinae: ''Harpagus'', ''Ictinia'', ''Rostrhamus'', ''Helicolestes'', ''Milvus'', ''Lophoictinia'', ''Hamirostra'', ''Haliastur''.
*Polyhieracinae: ''Gampsonyx''

The pearl kite ''Gampsonyx'' had variously been placed with the accipiters, forest-falcons, or elanine kites. It was not until the 1960s that a similar molt schedule established its affinity to ''Elanus''.

21st century

By 2015, genetic research showed that many of the kite genera are related to honey-buzzards, and that the tiny bat hawk (''Machaerhamphus '' or ''Macheirhamphus'') is actually related to the huge harpy eagles. Several of the large kites are related more closely to the ''Buteo'' hawks (buzzards) than to the group of "true" kites and sea-eagles.

Boyd''Taxonomy in Flux checklist
Accipitriformes
' "One thing that genetic results have made clear is that the kites are not a natural group. ... Kites also occur in three clades in Perninae and four clades in Buteoninae." "Three groups of kites are part of Perninae. The Neotropical Chondrohierax and Leptodon kites, the Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides, sister to the Pernis honey-buzzards), and the Square-tailed Kite (Lophoictinia, sister to the Henicopernis honey-buzzards). Note that the honey-buzzards are not a natural group either." places the "true" milvine kites (''Milvus'' and ''Haliastur'') with the sea-eagles in tribe Milvini within Buteoninae. This results in the following arrangement (genera in parentheses are not generally called kites):
*Elaninae: ''Gampsonyx'', ''Chelictinia'', ''Elanus''.
*Perninae: ''Chondrohierax'', ''Leptodon'', ''Elanoides'', (''Pernis''), ''Hamirostra'', ''Lophoictinia'', (''Henicopernis'').
*Buteoninae
**Harpagini: ''Harpagus''.
**Milvini: ''Haliastur'', ''Milvus'', (''Haliaeetus'', ''Icthyophaga'').
**Buteonini: many genera, including the kites ''Ictinia'', ''Rostrhamus'', and ''Helicolestes''.
**:''Ictinia'' is near-basal, after the Old-World genus ''Butastur''. ''Rostrhamus'' and ''Helicolestes'' form a clade with the black-collared hawk (''Busarellus'') and the crane hawk (''Geranospiza'').

As early as 1882, Anton Reichenow had also placed Section Milvinæ alongside Section Buteoninæ in Subfamily Buteoninæ.

In mythology

Isis is said in ancient Egyptian mythology to have taken the form of a kite in various situations in order to resurrect the dead.

It also figures in several fables by Aesop which underline its character as a predator: The Sick Kite, The Kite and the Doves and a variant of The Crow and the Snake.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Weekly Radio Segments from ''With the Wild Things'': KitesKite videos
on the Internet Bird Collection

Bird common names
Birds of prey
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Vultures