Black kite

    Milvus migrans

Castilian: Milano negro

Catalan: Milà negre

Gallego: Millafre negro

Euskera: Miru beltza

CLASIFICACIÓN:

Orden: Falconiformes

Family: Accipitridae

Migratory status: Summer resident

CONSERVATION STATUS:

On the National List of Threatened Species, it appears in the “Of Special Interest” category. In the 2004 edition of the Red Book of Spanish Birds (Libro Rojo de las Aves de España) it is listed as “Near Threatened”.

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THREATS

Poisoning, accidents in electrical cables, being run over and the disappearance of nesting and roosting areas.

Length / size: 55-60 cm / 130-155 cm

Identification: Medium-sized bird of prey with a dark brown colour, long wings and the characteristic fork-shaped tail.

Song: It makes a quick "eeeee eee" sound, and another one that is somewhat similar to a meow.

Diet: It feeds on different kinds of prey: rodents, birds, rabbits, amphibians, reptiles, fish and insects. It is also linked to human activities and appears in landfills and farms, and can even steal food from other birds of prey.

Reproduction: It usually breeds in colonies with other pairs. The male waits for his mate to arrive before beginning to prepare the nest, which is located in the primary axis of a tree or a large branch and is made of branches and brightly-coloured scraps, pieces of plastic and paper, etc. Incubation is done by the female while the male is responsible for food and protection.

HABITAT

It occupies different types of habitats, but they are always linked to wet areas. It prefers areas with trees, such as groves or grasslands, so that it can nest, while it moves to open spaces, such as pastureland or wastelands, to look for food.

DISTRIBUTION

In Spain: It is distributed throughout the northern and western parts of our country.

In Castile and León: The largest populations are located in the meadows of the middle and low sections of the most important waterways, such as the Rivers Duero, Pisuerga, Esla and Tormes.

Movements and migrations: European breeding populations winter in tropical Africa. In August they abandon their breeding areas to go to the straits and then cross the neighbouring continent. In certain areas of western Andalusia and Extremadura, the presence of some specimens that winter there is becoming common.

POPULATION

In Spain: There is an estimated population of 10300 breeding pairs (2005 data).

In Castile and León: There is an estimated population of 3700 breeding pairs.