Black Kite Hughes Oval

[David Rees <>]

For what its worth the  bigger relative of the Black Kite, the European Red Kite (Milvus milvus) in southern England (where it is now common in places) is rarely mobbed by other birds as they float conspicuously about, see https://flic.kr/s/aHsmkPkozG, except sometimes by the same said Carrion Crows. Reason in that case probably is competition for food, e.g. mice and 'tit-bits'  around rubbish dumps and outdoor pig farms, which attract both species, as do Motorway service areas, with their take-away joints and attendant rubbish.   You often see Red Kites floating about with Common Buzzards - which generally go for bigger prey such as rabbits.

David

On Thu, Dec 20, 2018 at 5:47 AM Philip Veerman <> wrote:

That is a good question. The question is not addressed in HANZAB as far as I could see. Many birds will mob raptors, including often other species of raptors. I think that Little Eagles and Wedge-tailed Eagles get the worst of it. I agree with the intent of the question that Black Kites are rarely troubled in this way. That suggests that other birds know the difference. Black Kites are generally not a big danger to other birds, probably far less than any other raptor, other than Black-shouldered & Letter-winged Kites. Or it may be that commonly Black Kites are in large aggregations, often mixed with Whistling Kites. so the effort it would take to mob them may be too great.

 

I once watched a pair of Black Falcons, (amicably) mixed with a flock of Black Kites, all hunting grasshoppers that were being disturbed by a family of Emus.

 

From John’s message, both Galahs and SC Cockatoos will follow and react to raptors in a safe situation. Hard to know but I think this often looks like playing. The reaction of Galahs to a Peregrine Falcon flying by or above is different. Because that is a real danger.

 

It is not exactly clear what is kite family. Generally regarded as a small number of subfamilies that also include others in the same family. There are surely several other Asian, if not Japanese species in the same family. It looks to me like the Black Kite in Japan is a different species Black-eared Kite, though when I saw it in China I would not pick it as different.

 

Philip

 

From: mariko buszynski [
Sent: Wednesday, 19 December, 2018 3:51 PM
To: calyptorhynchus
Cc: Canberra Birds
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Black Kite Hughes Oval

 

In Japan a Black Kite is the only one to represent kite family.  They are basically scavengers and I only once saw one with a grass snake. Black Kites are extremely common in the countryside. Birds do not bother to mob them though they mob much smaller birds of prey, such as  Kestrel.  Carrion Crows may harass them when they do not have anything better to do.  Is it common in Australia for birds to mob a Black Kite?

 

Mariko

 

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On Wed, Dec 19, 2018 at 7:31 AM calyptorhynchus <> wrote:

On 17/02/16 I reported a Black Kite flying over Hughes Oval mobbed by dozens of SC Cockatoos. This morning at about 6.50 the same thing happened, only the mobbers were dozens of Galahs. Kite slowly moved off north.

 

--

John Leonard
Canberra
Australia
www.jleonard.net

‘There is kinship between people and all animals. Such is the Law.’ Kimberley lawmen (from Yorro Yorro)