This can result in very sizable concentrations of red kites, especially in mountain passes and the valleys of the Pyrenees. From personal experience, I can say that a full-frontal view of the bird in moments like this, navigating its tail from side to side, is truly spectacular.įound across all of Spain (except for the Canary Islands), the red kite population multiplies in autumn with the arrival of birds coming down from central and northern Europe to spend the winters in warmer climes. In fact, for many amateur ornithologists, myself included, this combination of silvery, ochre, and orange-tinged hues, and its agile flight pattern, make the red kite one of the most elegant raptors to grace our countryside.Ī scavenger and opportunist, this beautiful bird of prey regularly scours rural roads where it is often seen flying relatively low in search of food: carrion lying in the ditches. If we have the chance to see a red kite flying low, we will notice that its plumage is lighter and far more colourful than that of its much darker cousin (hence the name “black kite”). Pairs of red kites will fly stunning aerial configurations thanks to their unmistakable V-shaped tail, more forked and open than that of the black kite. In the case of our protagonist, the red kite, these pirouettes can be quite spectacular, especially during the springtime mating season. They use their distinctive forked tail like a light, agile rudder to perform all kinds of turns in the air. The main giveaway, however, is their tail: elongated and narrow when closed, the feathers fan out to reveal a deep V-shape. The red kite is much larger, reaching a length of about 68 cm and a wingspan (the width from tip to tip when the wings are open) of up to 172 cm.Ī red kite perched on a branch, photo: Ana Mínguez.īoth kites display a similar silhouette: a small head relative to the body, with a short, barely protruding beak, and slim, elongated, angular wings. The former is smaller, with a length of about 60 cm and a wingspan of 140 cm. Medium-sized and lightly built, two species of kites call the Iberian Peninsula their home: the black kite (Milvus migrans) and the red kite (Milvus milvus). And of all the raptors that frequent the skies above our fields none have as distinctive a silhouette or flight pattern as the red kite. In this case, the shape and position of the wings, along with the profile and size of the tail or the flight pattern, are as decisive as the colouring in figuring out who is soaring above us. This is especially true when observing the bird from below, as we usually do, while it flies in the sky above, thereby making it impossible to discern the colour of its feathers. By Jose Luis Gallego, environmental communicator trying to identify a large bird of prey, the most telling trait tends to be its silhouette in flight.
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