Brahminy Kite
Haliastur indus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAccipitriformes
- FamilyAccipitridae (Accipítrids)
- GenusHaliastur (Haliastur Kites)
- SpeciesHaliastur indus (Brahminy Kite)
The brahminy kite (Haliastur indus), also known as the red-backed sea-eagle, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers, found in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Australia. The brahminy kite is found mainly on the coast and in inland wetlands, where it feeds on dead fish and other prey. Adults have a reddish-brown body plumage contrasting with their white head and breast which make them easy to distinguish from other birds of prey. Wikipedia →
5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Brahminy Kite sighting in Sinharaja Forest Reserve, based on 72 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Sinharaja Forest Reserve
Crested Serpent Eagle
Spilornis cheela
Black Eagle
Ictinaetus malayensis
Crested Hawk-Eagle
Nisaetus cirrhatus
Oriental Honey-buzzard
Pernis ptilorhynchus
Legge's Hawk-Eagle
Nisaetus kelaarti
Rufous-bellied Eagle
Lophotriorchis kienerii
Jerdon's Baza
Aviceda jerdoni
White-Bellied Sea-Eagle
Haliaeetus leucogaster
Booted Eagle
Hieraaetus pennatus
Common Buzzard
Buteo buteo
Black Kite
Milvus migrans
📅 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 Brahminy Kite in Sinharaja Forest Reserve?
About 5% of wildlife watchers report a Brahminy Kite sighting in Sinharaja Forest Reserve, based on 72 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Brahminy Kite in Sinharaja Forest Reserve?
May has the highest sighting rate for Brahminy Kite in Sinharaja Forest Reserve in our monthly data.