Kite (bird)

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Kite (bird)
Black kite.jpg
Black kite
(Milvus migrans)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Groups included
Black kite soaring Black Kite Soaring KaniTop Mandi Mar19 D72 9919.jpg
Black kite soaring

Kite is the common name for certain birds of prey in the family Accipitridae, particularly in subfamilies Milvinae, Elaninae, and Perninae. [1] The term is derived from Old English cȳta (“kite; bittern”), [2] possibly from the onomatopoeic Proto-Indo-European root *gū- , "screech." [3] [4]

Contents

Some authors use the terms "hovering kite" and "soaring kite" to distinguish between Elanus and the milvine kites, respectively.[ according to whom? ] The group may also be differentiated by size, referring to milvine kites as "large kites", and elanine kites as "small kites". [ citation needed ]

Species

A few of the traditional Perninae are also called kites.

Taxonomy and systematics

19th century

In 1824, Vigors [5] proposed five divisions or stirpes of the family Falconidae: Aquilina (eagles), Accipitrina (hawks), Falconina (falcons), Buteonina (buzzards) and Milvina (kites, containing two genera Elanus and Milvus). He characterized the kites as having weaker bill and feebler talons than the buzzards, tail more or less forked, and wings longer than the tail. [5] :  314  

In Elanus, he grouped the black-winged kite (now several Elanus spp.), scissor-tailed kite (now Chelictinia), and swallow-tailed kite (now Elanoides). These species all have pointed wings with the second primary the longest. The pattern of scales on the legs (acrotarsi) is reticulated, and the toes are separated. But Vigors noted that only the black-winged kite had rounded undersides on the nails of its talons, a trait found in the osprey but not in any other raptors, and thus suggested a separation of Elanus into two sections. [5] :  333   A year later, he established a separate genus Nauclerus for the scissor- and swallow-tailed kites. [6]

Milvus contained the familiar red and black kites. The fourth primary feather is the longest, leg scales are scutellated, and the exterior toe is united to the middle toe by a membrane. [5] : 334 

Vigors placed Ictinia– "the Milan Cresserelle of M. Vieillot" and "the Mississippi Kite of Mr. Wilson" – into Buteonina. Though noting that "the wings are of considerable length, extending far beyond the tail, a character which has induced M. Vieillot and others to place this bird near the Kites", he wrote that the strong affinity in characteristics and manners warranted it to be placed closer to the falcons. [5] :  331  

20th century

Swann's 1922 synopsis grouped all the kites together with the "cuckoo-falcons" and honey buzzards into a large Milvinæ subfamily. [7] His order was: Elanoides, Chelictinia, Milvus, Lophoictinia, Rostrhamus, Helicolestes, Chondrohierax, Odontriorchis, Gypoictinia (=Hamirostra), Elanus, Gampsonyx, Ictinia, Harpagus, Baza, Aviceda, Henicopernis, Machærhamphus, Pernis.

In contrast, Peters [8] grouped the large kites into subfamily Milvinae and most small kites into Elaninae, with a few small kites joining the honey-buzzards and bazas in Perninae. His arrangement of kite genera was as follows:

The pearl kite Gampsonyx had variously been placed with the accipiters, forest-falcons, or elanine kites. It was not until the 1960s that a similar molt schedule established its affinity to Elanus.

21st century

By 2015, genetic research showed that many of the kite genera are related to honey-buzzards, and that the tiny bat hawk (Machaerhamphus or Macheirhamphus) is actually related to the huge harpy eagles. Several of the large kites are related more closely to the Buteo hawks (buzzards) than to the group of "true" kites and sea-eagles.[ citation needed ]

Boyd [9] places the "true" milvine kites (Milvus and Haliastur) with the sea-eagles in tribe Milvini within Buteoninae. This results in the following arrangement (genera in parentheses are not generally called kites):

As early as 1882, Anton Reichenow had also placed Section Milvinæ alongside Section Buteoninæ in Subfamily Buteoninæ. [10] :  18  

In mythology

Isis is said in ancient Egyptian mythology to have taken the form of a kite in various situations in order to resurrect the dead. [11]

It also figures in several fables by Aesop which underline its character as a predator: The Sick Kite, The Kite and the Doves and a variant of The Crow and the Snake. [12] [13]

In pre-colonial Philippine mythology, the Tagalog creation myth begins with a kite, the sea, and the sky. The kite causes the sea and sky to go to war, and after the war, land is formed, allowing the kite to finally land and build a nest.

In Bushongo mythology, Chedi Bumba (third son of the god M'Bombo: the original creator of everything) in his quest to improve upon his father's design; was only able to create the Kite.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawk</span> Bird of prey

Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are very widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accipitridae</span> Family of birds of prey

The Accipitridae is one of the three families within the order Accipitriformes, and is a family of small to large birds of prey with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium-sized mammals, with a number feeding on carrion and a few feeding on fruit. The Accipitridae have a cosmopolitan distribution, being found on all the world's continents and a number of oceanic island groups. Some species are migratory. The family contains 256 species which are divided into 12 subfamilies and 75 genera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brahminy kite</span> Species of bird

The brahminy kite, also known as the red-backed sea-eagle in Australia, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers, all found in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Australia. The brahminy kite is found mainly on the coast and in inland wetlands, where it feeds on dead fish and other prey. Adults have a reddish-brown body plumage contrasting with their white head and breast which make them easy to distinguish from other birds of prey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European honey buzzard</span> Species of bird

The European honey buzzard, also known as the pern or common pern, is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae.

Buzzard is the common name of several species of birds of prey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perninae</span> Subfamily of birds

The raptor subfamily Perninae includes a number of medium-sized broad-winged species. These are birds of warmer climates, although the Pernis species have a more extensive range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crested honey buzzard</span> Species of bird

The crested honey buzzard is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, eagles, and harriers. Pernis ptilorhynchus has six subspecies. As a medium-sized raptor, their size ranges between 57–60 cm (22–24 in). They are also known as the Oriental, Asiatic, or Eastern honey buzzard. The name is derived from its diet, which consists mainly of the larvae of bees and wasps extracted from honey combs.

Pernis may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elaninae</span> Subfamily of birds

An elanine kite is any of several small, lightly-built raptors with long, pointed wings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snail kite</span> Species of bird

The snail kite is a bird of prey within the family Accipitridae, which also includes the eagles, hawks, and Old World vultures. Its relative, the slender-billed kite, is now again placed in Helicolestes, making the genus Rostrhamus monotypic. Usually, it is placed in the Milvine kites, but the validity of that grouping is under investigation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pearl kite</span> Species of bird

The pearl kite is a very small raptor found in open savanna habitat adjacent to deciduous woodland. It is the only member of the genus Gampsonyx. The scientific name commemorates the English naturalist William Swainson.

<i>Haliastur</i> Genus of birds

Haliastur is a genus of medium-sized diurnal birds of prey. It consists of two species of kites which form part of the subfamily Milvinae; some authorities place these species in the genus Milvus, despite clear differences in behaviour, voice and plumage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-collared hawk</span> Species of bird

The black-collared hawk is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is monotypic within the genus Busarellus. It has a widespread range of presence, from western Mexico to Uruguay. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical swamps, and swamps.

The black honey buzzard, also known as the New Britain honey buzzard, is a large raptor of the family Accipitridae. Standing at around 50 cm (20 in) tall, the adult black honey buzzard has a dark head and body, with striking white bands on its tail and flight feathers. When in flight, the buzzard can be recognized by its long wings and noticeably large secondary feathers. It is thought to be sedentary, with a range limited to the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea, where it is endemic. Due to its remote habitat and tendency to remain in densely forested areas, there is still much to learn about this striking species.

<i>Henicopernis</i> Genus of birds

Henicopernis is a genus of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae.

<i>Pernis</i> (bird) Genus of birds

Pernis is a genus of birds in the raptor subfamily Perninae. Its members are commonly known as honey buzzards. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek pernesπερνης, a term used by Aristotle for a bird of prey.

Honey Buzzard may refer to:

Nauclerus was a genus of birds of prey, containing the African and American swallow-tailed kites. Though similar, the two species are not closely related, belonging to separate subfamilies Elaninae and Perninae.

References

  1. ↑ "kite". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2014 <https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/319664/kite>.
  2. ↑ A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary %20(%E2%80%9Ckite%3B%20bittern&f=false
  3. ↑ "Proto-Indo-European dictionary-translator". indo-european.info.
  4. ↑ Flaksman, Maria. (2016). "Iconic Words in Proto-Germanic." Anglistics of the XXI century, vol. 2. Phonosemantics : in commemoration of Professor Dr. Stanislav Voronin's 80th anniversary. volume 2. 39-51.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Vigors, Nicholas Aylward (June 1824). "On the groups of the Falconidæ". Sketches in Ornithology. The Zoological Journal. 1 (2): 308–346. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  6. ↑ Vigors, Nicholas Aylward (October 1825). "On a new genus of Falconidæ". Sketches in Ornithology. The Zoological Journal. 2 (7): 385–386.
  7. ↑ Swann, H. Kirke (1922). "Sub-Fam. VI Milvinæ". A synopsis of the Accipitres (diurnal birds of prey) comprising species and subspecies described up to 1920, with their characters and distribution (2 ed.). London. pp. 150–178.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  8. ↑ Peters, 1931. Check-list of Birds of the World, volume 1, pages 192 to 205.
  9. ↑ Taxonomy in Flux checklist: Accipitriformes "One thing that genetic results have made clear is that the kites are not a natural group. ... Kites also occur in three clades in Perninae and four clades in Buteoninae." "Three groups of kites are part of Perninae. The Neotropical Chondrohierax and Leptodon kites, the Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides, sister to the Pernis honey-buzzards), and the Square-tailed Kite (Lophoictinia, sister to the Henicopernis honey-buzzards). Note that the honey-buzzards are not a natural group either."
  10. ↑ Sharpe, Richard Bowdler (1891). A review of recent attempts to classify birds; an address delivered before the Second international ornithological congress on the 18th of May, 1891, by R. Bowdler Sharpe. Budapest: Office of the Second International Ornithological Congress. In 1882 appeared Dr. Reichenow's 'Die Vogel der Zoologischen Gärten', with a scheme of arrangement of birds"
  11. ↑ "Isis the Goddess." Egyptian Gods. Siteseen Ltd., June 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2014. <http://www.landofpyramids.org/isis.htm>.
  12. ↑ "Walet" . Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  13. ↑ "143. THE KITE AND THE SNAKE (Laura Gibbs, translator)". mythfolklore.net.
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