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Kite is the common name for certain birds of prey in the family Accipitridae, particularly in the subfamilies Elaninae and Perninae and certain genera within Buteoninae. [1] The term is derived from Old English cȳta (“kite; bittern”), [ 2 ] possibly from the onomatopoeic Proto-Indo-European root * gū- , "screech."
The black kite was described by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon in his Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux in 1770. [3] The bird was also illustrated in a hand-coloured plate engraved by François-Nicolas Martinet in the Planches Enluminées D'Histoire Naturelle which was produced under the supervision of Edme-Louis Daubenton to accompany Buffon's text. [4]
The Cuban kite (Chondrohierax wilsonii) is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, eagles and harriers. It is endemic to Cuba. This species is classified as critically endangered by BirdLife International and the IUCN. The current population is estimated 50 to 249 mature birds.
The white-tailed kite was described in 1818 by the French ornithologist, someone who studies birds, Louis Pierre Vieillot under the binomial name Milvus leucurus with the type locality as Paraguay. [3] It is now one of four species in the genus Elanus which was introduced in 1809 by the French zoologist Jules-César Savigny. [4]
Kites of all ages have red eyes and red to yellow legs. [7] Males and females look alike, but the males are slightly paler on the head and neck. Young kites have banded tails and streaked bodies. [8] The bird is 12 to 15 inches (30–37 cm) beak to tail and has a wingspan averaging 3 feet (91 cm). Weight is from 214 to 388 grams (7.6–13.7 oz).
The birds are considered one of the most graceful fliers seen in America and often spend the majority of their lives scouring high tree tops for lizards, small mammals, and insects. The morphology of the swallow-tailed kite's wing and tail structure allows the bird to glide effortlessly for long distances. [13] [14] [12]