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Showing posts with label YELLOW BILLED KITE (Milvus migrans ssp. parasitus). Show all posts
Showing posts with label YELLOW BILLED KITE (Milvus migrans ssp. parasitus). Show all posts

Wednesday, 10 January 2024

27-12-2023 KOTU CREEK, GAMBIA - YELLOW BILLED KITE (Milvus migrans ssp. parasitus)

The yellow-billed kite (Milvus aegyptius ) is the Afrotropic counterpart of the black kite (Milvus migrans ), of which it is most often considered a subspecies. However, recent DNA studies suggest that the yellow-billed kite differs significantly from black kites in the Eurasian clade, and should be considered as a separate, allopatric species.

There are two subspecies: M. a. parasitus, found throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa (including Madagascar), except for the Congo Basin (with intra-African migrations) and M. a. aegyptius of Egypt, south-west Arabia and the Horn of Africa (which disperses south during the non-breeding season).

Sunday, 7 January 2024

29-12-2023 BAKAU, GAMBIA - YELLOW BILLED KITE (Milvus migrans ssp. parasitus)


As suggested by its name, the yellow-billed kite is easily recognized by its entirely yellow bill, unlike that of the black kite (which is present in Africa as a visitor during the North Hemisphere winter). However, immature yellow-billed kites resemble the black kites of the corresponding age.

They are found in almost all habitats, including parks in suburbia, but rare in the arid Namib and Karoo. They feed on a wide range of small vertebrates and insects, much of which is scavenged.

Saturday, 6 January 2024

31-12-2023 NGALA LODGE, GAMBIA - YELLOW BILLED KITE (Milvus migrans ssp. parasitus)

The Yellow-billed Kite is found throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa, in nearly all types of habitats including forests, wetlands, savannas, and to a lesser extent, arid environments.

The yellow-billed kite is the Afrotropic counterpart of the black kite, of which it is most often considered a subspecies. However, DNA studies suggest that the yellow-billed kite differs significantly from black kites in the Eurasian clade, and should be considered as a separate, allopatric species.


They migrate annually to central-east Africa for winter. See how small their feet are? Although they appear large, they only hunt prey like rodents, frogs and insects, but will also spend much of the day on the wing scavenging. 

Friday, 5 January 2024

1-1-2024 NGALA LODGE, GAMBIA - YELLOW BILLED KITE (Milvus migrans ssp. parasitus)

The yellow-billed kite (Milvus aegyptius ) is the Afrotropic counterpart of the black kite (Milvus migrans ), of which it is most often considered a subspecies. However, recent DNA studies suggest that the yellow-billed kite differs significantly from black kites in the Eurasian clade, and should be considered as a separate, allopatric species.

There are two subspecies: M. a. parasitus, found throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa (including Madagascar), except for the Congo Basin (with intra-African migrations) and M. a. aegyptius of Egypt, south-west Arabia and the Horn of Africa (which disperses south during the non-breeding season).


 

Wednesday, 3 January 2024

3-1-2024 BAKAU, GAMBIA - YELLOW BILLED KITE (Milvus migrans ssp. parasitus)


The yellow-billed kite is the Afrotropic counterpart of the black kite, of which it is most often considered a subspecies. However, DNA studies suggest that the yellow-billed kite differs significantly from black kites in the Eurasian clade, and should be considered as a separate, allopatric species. 

Tuesday, 2 January 2024

2-1-2024 LAMIN RICE FIELDS, GAMBIA - YELLOW BILLED KITE (Milvus migrans ssp. parasitus)


The yellow-billed kite is the Afrotropic counterpart of the black kite, of which it is most often considered a subspecies. However, DNA studies suggest that the yellow-billed kite differs significantly from black kites in the Eurasian clade, and should be considered as a separate, allopatric species. 

Sunday, 31 December 2023

30-12-2023 BAKAU, GAMBIA - YELLOW BILLED KITE (Milvus migrans ssp. parasitus)


The yellow-billed kite (Milvus aegyptius) is the Afrotropic counterpart of the black kite (Milvus migrans), of which it is most often considered a subspecies. However, DNA studies suggest that the yellow-billed kite differs significantly from black kites in the Eurasian clade, and should be considered as a separate, allopatric species.


The yellow-billed kite was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He specified that the bird was found in Egypt, placed it with the eagles, falcons and relatives in the genus Falco and coined the binomial name Falco aegyptius. Unusually Gmelin did not cite a source for his information. The yellow-billed kite is now one of three kites placed in the genus Milvus that was introduced in 1799 by the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède.

There are two subspecies: M. a. parasitus (Daudin, 1800) , found throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa (including Madagascar), except for the Congo Basin (with intra-African migrations) and M. a. aegyptius (Gmelin, JF, 1788) of Egypt, south-west Arabia and the Horn of Africa (which disperses south during the non-breeding season).

The yellow-billed kite was formerly considered as conspecific with the black kite (Milvus migrans). A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2005 compared DNA sequences of two mitochondrial loci of the red, black and yellow-billed kites. It found that there was significant divergence between the three species, but unexpectedly, the two clades corresponding to the M. a. aegyptius and M. a. parasitus subspecies did not form a monophyletic group.


 As suggested by its name, the yellow-billed kite is easily recognized by its entirely yellow bill, unlike that of the black kite (which is present in Africa as a visitor during the North Hemisphere winter). However, immature yellow-billed kites resemble the black kites of the corresponding age.

They are found in almost all habitats, including parks in suburbia, but rare in the arid Namib and Karoo. They feed on a wide range of small vertebrates and insects, much of which is scavenged.

Friday, 29 December 2023

25-12-2023 BAKAU, GAMBIA - YELLOW BILLED KITE (Milvus migrans ssp. parasitus)

The yellow-billed kite (Milvus aegyptius) is the Afrotropic counterpart of the black kite (Milvus migrans), of which it is most often considered a subspecies. However, DNA studies suggest that the yellow-billed kite differs significantly from black kites in the Eurasian clade, and should be considered as a separate, allopatric species.


As suggested by its name, the yellow-billed kite is easily recognized by its entirely yellow bill, unlike that of the black kite (which is present in Africa as a visitor during the North Hemisphere winter). However, immature yellow-billed kites resemble the black kites of the corresponding age.

They are found in almost all habitats, including parks in suburbia, but rare in the arid Namib and Karoo. They feed on a wide range of small vertebrates and insects, much of which is scavenged.

It is mostly an intra-African breeding migrant, present in Southern Africa July–March and sometimes as late as May. It is generally common. There are no threats to this species as stated by the IUCN.