Brahminy Kite

Haliastur indus (Boddaert, 1783)

45–51 cmLength118 cmWingspan529 gWeight

It has a chestnut body, a white head and breast, and black wingtips.

Busiest months: December–February · Most records: India, Australia, Singapore

Looks like Black Kite

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Head and breast white
Body chestnut
Wingtips black
Tail rounded, not forked

Male, female and young

Juvenile rufous-tinged; paler and shorter-winged than resident and migratory groups of Asian Black Kite, with a rounded tail.

Voice

A cat-like “keeyew” call.

Similar species

Black Kite

Similar in size and shape; Brahminy Kite has a rounded tail, while Black Kite has a forked tail.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: December–February · Most records: India, Australia, Singapore

Brahminy Kite has been recorded at 798 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 20 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Changaram Wetlands – EzhupunnaIndia5,393 records
Saul Kere / Sowl KereIndia3,906 records
GKVK CampusIndia3,655 records

More places

Hoskote / Hosakote KereIndia2,721 records
Hessaraghatta KereIndia2,376 records
KattampallyIndia2,351 records
Doddanekundi KereIndia2,336 records
Lalbagh Botanical GardensIndia2,000 records
Madayi ParaIndia1,992 records
Krishnampathi Lake, SeeranaickenpalayamIndia1,854 records

Countries and regions with the most records

India Australia Singapore Sri Lanka Thailand Malaysia Papua New Guinea Philippines

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The brahminy kite (Haliastur indus), also known as the red-backed sea-eagle, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers, 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.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Brahminy Kite?

The Brahminy Kite is about 45–51 cm long, with a wingspan of 118 cm and weighs around 529 g.

Where does the Brahminy Kite live?

Its breeding range: Oriental, Australasia: Pakistan to Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea and satellites, coastal Australia (except southern, Tasmania), Bismarck Archipelago and Solomon Islands. It is most often recorded in India, Australia and Singapore.

When is the best time to see the Brahminy Kite?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February and December (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Brahminy Kite endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Brahminy Kite as Least Concern.

What does the Brahminy Kite eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Brahminy Kite in?

It belongs to the family Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae), order Accipitriformes.

At a glance

Length: 45–51 cm
Wingspan: 118 cm
Weight: 529 g
Habitat: Coast & tidal flats
Diet: Omnivore
Lifestyle: Varied
Migration: Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 400 mm
Tail: 204 mm
Bill: 49 mm
Tarsus: 48 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Oriental, Australasia: Pakistan to Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea and satellites, coastal Australia (except southern, Tasmania), Bismarck Archipelago and Solomon Islands

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 1