Name:Haliastur indus
Alias:Haliastur indus,Brahminy Kite,Red Eagle, Red Eagle
Outline:Bird of prey
Family:Falconiformes Accipitridae Odontohawkinae Genus
length:36-51cm
Weight:700-1000g
Life:10-30years
IUCN:LC
Brahminy Kite is a medium-sized bird of prey with four subspecies in the world.
Brahminy Kite usually migrates in spring from March to April and leaves in autumn from October to November, but it is rare in all places.
The chestnut kite mainly feeds on crabs, frogs, fish, etc. It also eats insects, shrimps and reptiles, and occasionally small birds and rodents. It mainly relies on vision to find food, so its eyesight is particularly sharp. It usually lives in high and prominent places so that it can better observe the surroundings. When it finds prey on the ground, it suddenly swoops down from the air to catch it. It also catches prey such as small birds and large insects that fly past its eyes. Sometimes it also hovers over fishing villages or lives directly on the roofs of high houses. When fish or other animal entrails are thrown out, it flies to eat them, and sometimes it directly steals fish from fishermen. In addition to hunting on the ground, it also hunts in the water and in the air. The prey is either pecked directly on the ground or pecked while perched on a tree. Sometimes it also wanders around to find food or flies along the coast, pecking at carrion, dead fish and smelly meat along the way. In places where there are a lot of dead fish, it is also seen foraging in groups.
The breeding season of the chestnut kite is from April to July. Usually, the nest is built on a tall and isolated tree by the water, the edge of the farmland or in the fishing village, and occasionally on the roof of the house. The nest is rough. Usually, dead branches are piled on the trunk and fork of the tree. The shape is disc-shaped, with a concave middle, and soft hay, cotton, rags, hair and paper scraps are placed inside. The nest is shared by male and female birds. The male bird transports the nesting materials and food for the female bird, and the female bird builds the nest. Each nest lays 2-3 eggs, sometimes as many as 4 and as few as 1. The eggs are oval in shape, white or light blue in color, and some have a few fine brown or reddish brown spots or stripes. The female bird is mainly responsible for incubating the eggs, and the male bird hunts and transports food for the female bird. The incubation period is 26-27 days. The chicks are late-maturing. After hatching, they are fed by the parents together. They can fly and leave the nest after about 50-55 days.
Listed in the 2012 Red List of Endangered Species of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) ver3.1 - Least Concern (LC).
Listed as a Class II Key Protected Animal in China.
Listed as Class II Key Protected Wildlife in China.
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