Black Kite

Also known as Milvus migrans

species of bird

OverviewAI-generated

Milvus migrans, commonly known as the black kite, is a species of bird classified within the family Accipitridae, order Falconiformes, class Aves, and phylum Chordata. The taxon belongs to the parent genus Milvus. Its scientific authority is attributed to (Boddaert, 1783). The organism is recognized as an accepted species in the World Register of Marine Species.

The black kite has a wingspan of 1.52 and a mass of 828. It typically produces a litter size of 2.4. The species is distributed across Brazil, China, the Nanling Mountains, and South America. It is listed under the IUCN conservation status of Least Concern, a designation recorded in 2021. Regional conservation status is noted as Endangered. The taxon is also referred to by the common names Milano negro, Schwarzmilan, and milà negre.

Synthesized by Vinony from 26 facts across 4 sources: Wikidata, IUCN Red List, WoRMS, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Species

Least Concern

black kite

Species

PhylumChordata
ClassAves
OrderFalconiformes
FamilyAccipitridae

via IUCN

Wikidata facts

Instance of: taxon
Parent taxon: Milvus
Mass: 828
Image: Black Kite in Baruipur September 2025 by Tisha Mukherjee 06.jpg

Show 12 more facts

taxon rank: species
IUCN conservation status: Least Concern
Commons category: Milvus migrans
taxon name: Milvus migrans
Commons gallery: Milvus migrans
wingspan: 1.52
litter size: 2.4
taxon common name: Tsimalaho
taxon range: Burkina Faso
short name: M. migrans
external data available at URL: www.gbif.org/dataset/2c04922c-82dd-4718-ab22-c9772408de9c
regional conservation status: Endangered status

Sources (12)

via Wikidata · CC0

~14 min read

Encyclopedic overview

in Bangladesh 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. They are vociferous with a distinct shrill whinnying call.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Black Kite” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.