Kite () is the common name for certain
birds of prey
Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predat ...
in the family
Accipitridae
The Accipitridae is one of the three families within the order Accipitriformes, and is a family of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium-s ...
, particularly in subfamilies
Milvinae
The Milvinae kites are found in the family Accipitridae
The Accipitridae is one of the three families within the order Accipitriformes, and is a family of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. ...
, [], and
Perninae
The raptor subfamily Perninae includes a number of medium-sized broad-winged species. These are birds of warmer climates, although the ''Pernis'' species (European honey buzzard and crested honey buzzard) have a more extensive range.
Several of ...
.
["kite". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2014 .] The term is derived from
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th c ...
''cȳta'' (“kite; bittern”), from the
Proto-Indo-European root
The roots of the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European language (PIE) are basic parts of words that carry a lexical meaning, so-called morphemes. PIE roots usually have verbal meaning like "to eat" or "to run". Roots never occurred alone in the lan ...
*''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
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 it ...
, ''Elanus caeruleus''
***
Black-shouldered kite, ''Elanus axillaris''
***
White-tailed kite, ''Elanus leucurus''
***
Letter-winged kite, ''Elanus scriptus''
** Genus ''
Chelictinia''
***
Scissor-tailed kite
The scissor-tailed kite (''Chelictinia riocourii''), also known as African swallow-tailed kite or fork-tailed kite, is a bird of prey in the monotypic genus ''Chelictinia'' in the family Accipitridae. It is widespread in the northern tropics of A ...
, ''Chelictinia riocourii''
** Genus ''
Gampsonyx''
***
Pearl kite
The pearl kite (''Gampsonyx swainsonii'') is a very small raptor found in open savanna habitat adjacent to deciduous woodland. It is the only member of the genus ''Gampsonyx''. The scientific name commemorates the English naturalist William Swai ...
, ''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
The swallow-tailed kite (''Elanoides forficatus'') is a pernine raptor which breeds from the southeastern United States to eastern Peru and northern Argentina. It is the only species in the genus ''Elanoides''. Most North and Central American b ...
, ''Elanoides forficatus''
* Subfamily Milvinae
** Genus ''
Haliastur
''Haliastur'' is a genus of medium-sized diurnal birds of prey. It consists of two species of kites which form part of the subfamily Milvinae; some authorities place these species in the genus '' Milvus'', despite clear differences in behaviou ...
''
***
Whistling kite
The whistling kite (''Haliastur sphenurus'') is a medium-sized diurnal raptor found throughout Australia (including coastal islands), New Caledonia and much of New Guinea (excluding the central mountains and the northwest). Also called the whistl ...
, ''Haliastur sphenurus''
***
Brahminy kite
The brahminy kite (''Haliastur indus''), formerly known as the red-backed sea-eagle in Australia, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards, and harrie ...
, ''Haliastur indus''
** Genus ''
Milvus''
***
Red kite
The red kite (''Milvus milvus'') is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species currently breeds in the Western Palearctic region o ...
, ''Milvus milvus''
****
Cape Verde kite, ''Milvus (milvus) fasciicauda'' –
extinct (2000)
***
Black kite
The black kite (''Milvus migrans'') is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. It is thought to be the world's most abundant species of Accipitridae, although some populations have ...
, ''Milvus migrans''
***
Black-eared kite
The black kite (''Milvus migrans'') is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. It is thought to be the world's most abundant species of Accipitridae, although some populations have ...
, ''Milvus (migrans) lineatus''
***
Yellow-billed kite
The yellow-billed kite (''Milvus aegyptius'') is the Afrotropic counterpart of the black kite (''Milvus migrans''), of which it is most often considered a subspecies. However, DNA studies suggest that the yellow-billed kite differs significantly ...
, ''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
The plumbeous kite (''Ictinia plumbea'') is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae that is resident in much of northern South America. It is migratory in the northern part of its range which extends north to Mexico. It feeds on insects which it ...
, ''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
The raptor subfamily Perninae includes a number of medium-sized broad-winged species. These are birds of warmer climates, although the ''Pernis'' species (European honey buzzard and crested honey buzzard) have a more extensive range.
Several of ...
'' ''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
Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kin ...
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 videoson the Internet Bird Collection
Bird common names
Birds of prey
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*
Vultures