RAPTORS of Africa
Raptors are carnivorous. They hunt by sight during the day, are long lived, and have low reproductive rates. The catch their prey via strong claws – three pointing forward and one pointing backward.
The raptors that hunt by day are: hawks, eagle, buzzards, harriers, kites, vultures, falcons, caracaras. Owls hunt by night. Raptors are also called birds of prey.
Kites
Order Accipitriformes Family Accipitridae
The order Accipitriformes contains the diurnal (active during the day) birds of prey: hawks, goshawks, eagles, kites, vultures, ospreys, secretary birds. These birds have sometimes been considered part of the Falconiformes which contains the falcons, but DNA evidence indicates the orders should be separate.
The Accipitridae family contains the hawks, goshawks, eagles, kites, Old World vultures. Subfamilies are often used to group related species, but the subfamiles for much of Accipitridae are in flux. They will be used here if there is agreement for their members.
This page contains the kites. The kites spend great amount of time soaring.
Genus Chelictinia - 1 species
Kite, African Swallow-tailed Chelictinia riocourii Found: Africa
Photographed by Dick Daniels - Tanzania
Genus Elanus
Kite, Black-shouldered Found: Africa, Australia
Photographed by: 1, 3) Dick Daniels - Eagle Encounters, South Africa 2) Dick - Eagle Encounters
4) David Cook - South Australia
Kite, Black-winged Elanus caeruleus Found: Africa, Asia, Europe
Photographed by: 1) T. S. Ganesh - India 2) J. M. Garg - Hyderabad, India
Genus Milvus
Kite, Black Milvus migrans Found: Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia
Photographed by: 1, 2) Dick Daniels - Nepal 3) Dick - Tanzania 4, 5) Dick - Tanzania
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Kite, Red Milvus milvus Found: Europe and northwest Africa
Photographed by: 1) Hans Hillewaert - Belgium 2) Pavrabec 3) Thomas Kraft - Germany
Kite, Yellow-billed Milvus aegyptius Found: Africa
The Yellow-billed Kite was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the Black Kite.
3, 5, 6) Arno Meinties 4) D. Gordon Robertson - Ngorongoro Crater Park, Tanzania
4) Juvenile
All photos on this site are available for general use. Please credit the photographer. Some images have additional constraints such as no commercial use or no modifications. Click the photo credit link for details. Dick Daniels, webmaster.