Black Kite
Milvus migrans
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAccipitriformes
- FamilyAccipitridae (Accipítrids)
- GenusMilvus (Milvus Kites)
- SpeciesMilvus migrans (Black Kite)
The black kite or fire 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 experienced dramatic declines or fluctuations. Current global population estimates run up to 6.7 million individuals. Unlike others of the group, black kites are opportunistic hunters and are more likely to scavenge. They spend much of their time gliding in thermals in search of food. Their angled wing and distinctive forked tail make them easy to identify. Wikipedia →
40–50% of wildlife watchers report a Black Kite sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, based on 601 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at iSimangaliso Wetland Park
African Fish-Eagle
Haliaeetus vocifer
Brown Snake Eagle
Circaetus cinereus
Black-breasted Snake Eagle
Circaetus pectoralis
African Harrier-Hawk
Polyboroides typus
Common Buzzard
Buteo buteo
African Marsh-Harrier
Circus ranivorus
Fasciated Snake Eagle
Circaetus fasciolatus
African Cuckoo-Hawk
Aviceda cuculoides
Ayres's Hawk-Eagle
Hieraaetus ayresii
Long-crested Eagle
Lophaetus occipitalis
Crowned Eagle
Stephanoaetus coronatus
Wahlberg's Eagle
Hieraaetus wahlbergi
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Black Kite in iSimangaliso Wetland Park?
About 43% of wildlife watchers report a Black Kite sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, based on 601 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Black Kite in iSimangaliso Wetland Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Black Kite in iSimangaliso Wetland Park in our monthly data.