additional the 61 cm big and 800-1600 g heavy red-kite (Milvus milvus) and the black-kite (Milvus migrans) clearly smaller with 56 cm of total-length and 630-1030 g substances includes this subfamily of the gripping-birds further 7 types with together 10 types.
Red kite The red-kite (Milvus milvus), named also fork-consecration and king-consecration, broods on the Kapverdischen islands, in North-Africa's west and in Europe (until eastward to South-Scandinavia and until white-Russia, to the Ukraine and at the black sea). Old brood-occurrences in the small-Asian area are no more certainly proved. Sure field-marks of this langflügligen griffin are its profoundly bifurcate, long tail (at least 30 cm long and 5 cm deep notched) and the auburn, varied plumage.
Endangering it is on the red list of the strongly endangered types with us.
Black kite The black-kite (Milvus migrans) is brown altogether darker colored, its dun head-plumage doesn't rise also itself so light and clearly like with the red-kite from the rest-plumage on. The push (tail) of the black-kite is shorter (at most 29 cm long) and less profoundly bifurcate, so that cut off exactly it behind in the flight from strong Spreizung from time to time appears. Black-kites more frequently and also are much still widespread (6 races) as red-kites; its brood-area stretches over Africa (without the Sahara-area, including Madagascar) and Eurasia (exception): Northwest-Europe, Finland and the Tundrengebiete to the north of the 62. Degree of latitude, as well as over New Guinea and Australia.
With a maximum wing-length of 55 cm (with the female) opposite at most 52 cm with the Central European race (Milvus migrans migrans) and with maximum becomes Siberian black-kites (Milvus migrans lineatus) 66 cm of total-length much bigger and surpasses occasionally also the red-kite at measurements.
Shape Both kite-types don't show any distinctive Geschlechtsdimorphismus, however, female animals become somewhat bigger. In the flight, kites bend its long wings somewhat to the back and offer such a characteristic silhouette.
Zugverhalten Black and red-kites are migratory birds, that in the tropical Africa and in the Near East (black-kite) as well as. in means and Southern Europe, North-Africa and in the small-Asian Mediterranean-area (red-kite) spends the winter.
Reproduction As brood-biotope, both types diversified landscapes prefer where they position its eyries in forests and field-groves. Favorable life-conditions offer land on water-near Niststätten. Red-kites are somewhat more independent than black-kites in this relationship, that looks for the proximity of seas, rivers and marshland-ships.
Kites build its nests in treetops, with what the male here-manages the Nistmaterial, that the female bird obstructs. Often, also last year's eyries of other griffins or crow-nests are covered and are developed. The Nistmulde line kites with all sorts of materials, among them paper, rags u. ä., but they don't use any fresh branches and leaves.
Mainly the females erbrüten from the first egg on (Legeabstand 2-3 days) 28-30 days long the nest existing from 2-3 eggs. they are provided with food by the male brood-partners meanwhile. The nestlings see in the 1. Dunenkleid oberseits reddish-brown and unterseits whitish from; the 2. Dunenkleid is somewhat darker with both types. In the first 1-2 weeks hudert the female the nest-stools intensively and feeds it, while the male kite still goes to the hunt alone; later, both parents take part in the loot-catch. The young kites leave the nest after 40-50 days, comes back to its eyrie still on occasion in the subsequent weeks, however.
Life expectancy The known maximum-age of free-living kites is with 23-25 years and in captivity, black-kites became even 28 and red-kites 33 years old.
Nutrition Also like the other types of its subfamily, black and red-kites are very adaptable in its food-acquisition. All possible invertebrate animals and smaller vertebrates belong to its loot like carrion (particularly at the streets) and garbages as well. Black-kites are distinct Kulturfolger in many places and provide the waste-elimination in villages and cities; otherwise, they catch much more fish than red-kites, that live somewhat more secluded and make also hunt for bigger vertebrates, in the relationship.
Endangering In Central Europe, also the stocks of black-kites declined strongly recently. it also is on the red list of endangered types of animal and earns strict protection. The main-cause for the retrograde continuance should be the increasing concern and destruction of the habitat of the kites through the human being.
Non-European types The old-terrestrial kites next stands the 50-55 cm big buzzard-kite (Hamirostra melanosterna) big mop of hair-kite (Lophoictinia isura) and the 55-60 cm. Both live in Australia's forest and grassland-ships.
Particular kites are the 38-45 cm from Florida, Cuba and means big Schneckenweih (Rostrhamus sociabilis) - until South America (from East-Mexico to Uruguay) as well as the 35-38 cm big Hakenweih (Rostrhamus [Helicolestes] hamatus). its spread-area extends from East-Panama to the Amazon-area (East-Peru). Both types live exclusively from freshwater-snails, who pull it out of the casings with its narrow, hook-shaped beaks.
The spread-area of the 32-38 cm big Schwebeweihs (Ictinia plumbea) stretches from South-Mexico to North-Argentina while the approximately equally big Mississippiweih (Ictinia misisipiensis) broods in the southeast of the USA. Both "gray-kites" have a completely blue-gray plumage and are very versatile in the election of its loot-animals.
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