Kites
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Red kite ( Milvus milvus ) |
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| Lacépède , 1799 |
The kites ie S. ( Milvus ) are a genus of birds of prey within the family of hawks (Accipitridae). The genus contains three species, it is the living almost exclusively in Europe Red Kite ( Milvus milvus ), over much of Europe, Asia and Australia spread Black Kite ( Milvus migrans native to Africa) and to the, gelbschnabeligen parasites Milan ( Milvus aegyptius ). The species rank of the kite species ( Milvus fasciicauda or Milvus milvus fasciicauda ), which occurs in a few pairs on Cape Verde, is controversial.
Kites are medium-sized birds of prey with long, deeply fingered wings, angled in the carpal joint when in flight. The noticeably long tail is slightly notched in the black kite and strongly notched in the red kite. The mostly sociable kites are search aircraft fighters and excellent glider pilots. They are brownish in color, the head is very light, sometimes almost white. Kites feed on both live prey and carrion. The nominate form of the black kite shows a particular predilection for fish. The migration strategies of the black kite and red kite are different, they can be long-distance migrants , short-distance migrants as well as resident birds . Milvus aegyptius is mostly short-range migrants, or leads a nomadic life outside of the breeding season.
etymology
The name Milan comes from the French word milan and also refers to these birds of prey. It is derived from the post-classical Latin milvus , in classical Latin miluus .
literature
- James Ferguson-Lees & David A. Christie: Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London 2001, ISBN 0-7136-8026-1 .
