Black Kite Milvus migrans
(aka Yellow-billed Kite Milvus migrans aegyptius)
Black Kite, Lalibela, Ethiopia, January 2016 - click for larger image

Ghana, Ethiopia and Madagascar
June 2011

The Black Kite is distributed across a large part of Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia but is missing from the Americas. According to Ferguson-Lees it is "probably [the] commonest raptor in world terms". See the distribution map at Birdlife International.

In Africa it is found in a wide variety of habitats and is omnivorous.

Black Kite, Tono Dam, Ghana, June 2011 - click for larger image

There are two main groups of this species in Africa. The sub-species M. m. aegyptius is sometimes given the status of a species called Yellow-billed Kite and is notable for its yellow bill. It is found throughout Africa south of the Sahara and is seen here in all but photo 1. Photo 1 shows the nominate sub-species identified by its black bill. This migrates to much of Africa during the northern winter

Black Kite, Berenty Reserve, Madagascar, November 2016 - click for larger image

Photo 5 shows a juvenile in flight

Black Kite, Berenty Reserve, Madagascar, November 2016 - click for larger image
Black Kite, Lake Chelekcheka, Ethiopia, January 2016 - click for larger image
Black Kite, Tono Dam, Ghana, June 2011 - click for larger image
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