Black-winged kite

The black-winged kite is a small bird, the female is slightly larger than the male. The male kite measures, 30 to 35 cm in length and weighs 200 to 270 grams. The female weighs 220 to 340 grams. The wingspan is 75 to 90 cm.
The kite has white, grey and blackish velvety plumage and owl like forward-facing eyes with orange red irises. The wings are long and the bird is predominantly greyish white. There is blackish shoulder patches, wing tips and eye stripe.
The black-winged kite species primarily inhabit open savanna grasslands with scattered bushes and small trees and semi-deserts areas. They have been also seen at higher altitudes in Sikkim, Nilgiris and Nagaland.
The black-winged kite feeds on small mammals like rodents, shrews, bats and also small birds. These kites also prey upon grasshoppers, crickets and other large insects.
The black-winged kite breeding season is between February to August in the Palearctic region and in Africa and India breeding begins at the end of the wet season. The nest is constructed on the trees with twigs and fine material. The clutch has two to four eggs. Both parents incubate and the male kite has the major role in feeding the incubating female and later the chicks.
The black-winged kite is nomadic moving around the range in search of prey. In some locations these long-winged kites have been observed to move to warmer areas in the winter. These long-winged kite species have an extremely large range and considered least vulnerable. The possible threats to its conservation are use of pesticides, habitat degradation human activities in the breeding habitats.