#KITE BIRD UK PLUS#

Getting to grips with this variation is one of the keys to safely separating the two species. In Black Kite, however, both individual and geographical variation are extensive. Plumage-wise Red Kite is the less variable of the two, as there is little individual or geographical variation.

In a wider context, Red Kite is a western, typically European species, while Black has a huge range extending across the entire Palaearctic region from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.Īlthough the two are quite different, misidentifications do occur. In Britain the former is an increasing resident, while Black is a rare visitor, mostly seen in spring and autumn. This bird is showing the typical upperparts of adult Red Kite, with a bright cinnamon and deeply forked tail, contrasting light head and dark upperwings, except for the distinctly marked rufous coverts (Dick Forsman).Įurope has two species of Milvus kites: Red Kite and Black Kite. Dick Forsman offers all the advice you need to confidently recognise these species in all plumages.Īdult Red Kite (Pyrenees, Spain, 1 November 2017).

#KITE BIRD UK PLUS#

The outlying possibility of both Asian and African subspecies, plus hybrids, further complicates the picture. The very unfamiliarity of the latter means that it could be overlooked, especially with distant views. However, identification can be made trickier by the much rarer Black Kite. After almost having been lost in Britain, Red Kite is an increasingly familiar sight across the country – a real conservation success.

Kite bird uk