Yellowbilled Kite
 |
||
 |
Geelbekwou  Yellowbilled kite Milvus aegypticus Hluhluwe Umfolozi KwaZulu-Natal |
 |
Description - They have a rusty brown plumage, a pale band across the upper wing, yellow bill and legs. It is a small raptor that can be distinguished from other small raptors by the distinctive forked tail. This is twisted in flight from the horizontal to the almost vertical as it steers and manoeuvres through the air, so that it can swoop down and pick up prey even between moving motor vehicles. The immature bird is darker and has a black bill.
Distribution - Throughout Southern Africa.
Habitat - Mainly found in woodlands, human settlements and semi-arid savanna.
Biological - Common resident. Highly gregarious when not breeding, otherwise solitary or in pairs. Frequents roads for road-killed animals. Size 51-60 cm, wingspan 133-180 cm.
Diet - Hunts in flight and preys on a variety of small animals, such as insects and small vertebrates. Also known to scavenge from picnic spots.
Breeding - September to November. The nest is a bowl of sticks about 50-80 cm deep, lined with rags, wool, dung, skin and other rubbish built in the canopy of a tree. They lay 2 to 3 white eggs with brown markings. Both sexes incubate for a period of about 6 weeks. Hatching after 5 weeks and fledgling at 6 weeks. The nestling period is about 6 weeks.
Voice - Sometimes a whinnying "klieeeuw" trill in flight.
Other names - Milvus milvus aegypticus - also called Milvus milvus parasitus - D Schmarotzermilan - NL Geelsnavelwouw - Setswana Mmankgodi/Segodi
Books
Ian Sinclair - A photographic guide to birds of Southern Africa. Struik Publ. ISBN 1-86872-553-7
Ian Sinclair et al. - Sasol birds of Southern Africa. Struik Publ. ISBN 1-86872-033-0
Kenneth Newman - Newman se voëls van Suider-Afrika. SAPPI. ISBN 1-868-12-758-3