Black KiteMilvus migransWhere and when to see them

The Black Kite is a medium-sized bird of prey with dark brown plumage and a shallowly forked tail. It is widespread across much of Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Along the Saône, it is principally a spring and summer visitor, associated with rivers, floodplains and nearby woodland. Its adaptable feeding habits allow it to exploit both natural prey and food made available by human activity.

Size

Body length: 48–58 cm; wingspan: 130–155 cm.

Weight

Approximately 600–1,100 g.

Lifespan

Can live for more than 20 years in the wild, although many individuals live much shorter lives.

Status

Least Concern (IUCN).

Black Kites spend much of their time soaring and gliding, using rising warm air to gain height with relatively little wing-flapping. They continually adjust their tails to steer while searching for food. Over water, they may swoop down and snatch food from the surface with their feet. They are often sociable, gathering where food is plentiful and sometimes sharing communal roosts. Breeding pairs build stick nests in trees and may add scraps of paper, cloth or other material. Their calls include thin whistles and wavering, whinnying notes. Most birds breeding in France migrate to sub-Saharan Africa for the winter.

• Despite its name, the Black Kite is mostly brown rather than black.
• It can collect food from the water without landing.
• Its mobile tail acts as a rudder during flight.
• French breeding birds typically cross the Sahara during migration.

Wildlife opportunities depend on the river reach, water levels and species. River-specific viewing months have not been confirmed; general species seasons are not a local sighting forecast.

Along the Saône, suitable habitat includes broad river channels, wooded banks, floodplain meadows and wetlands. Tall trees near feeding areas provide nesting and resting sites. Black Kites also forage over farmland and other open countryside adjoining the river. They may visit places where human activity provides food, but their presence depends on local conditions and food availability.

The Black Kite is an opportunistic predator and scavenger. It eats fish, small mammals, birds, insects and carrion, with the balance varying by place and season. Along rivers, it may take dead or weakened fish from the surface and sometimes steal food from other birds.

Common name

Black Kite

Scientific name

Milvus migrans

Animal group

Birds

Size

Body length: 48–58 cm; wingspan: 130–155 cm.

Weight

Approximately 600–1,100 g.

Lifespan

Can live for more than 20 years in the wild, although many individuals live much shorter lives.

Status

Least Concern (IUCN).

Identification

Look for a dark brown raptor with long, angled wings, finger-like outer flight feathers and a shallowly forked tail. The head is often paler and greyer than the body, although this can be difficult to see at a distance. The tail fork may become less obvious when the tail is spread. Compared with the Red Kite, the Black Kite has a shorter, less deeply forked tail, duller brown plumage and less conspicuous pale patches beneath the wings.