Scientific name: Milvus migrans (Boddaert, 1783)
Bird group: Birds-of-prey
Field characters. Length 55-60 cm; wingspan 135-155 cm. Resembles Red Kite but can be distinguished by notched rather than forked tail, smaller size and much darker plumage without any noticeable features; head greyish. Juvenile paler with pale grey patch on underwing at base of primaries. Holds wings horizontally while soaring and not in V, like Marsh Harrier.
Voice. Noisy during the breeding season; produces a vibrating, gull-like call.
Distribution. Fairly common summer visitor.
Habitat. Prefers the vicinity of lakes, pools, rivers, wetlands, seaports and aerodromes.
Food. A predator and a scavenger, using a variety of hunting techniques and capable of exploiting a wide range of food sources, usually animal prey: small mammals and birds, reptiles, fish (frequently dead), insects. Also takes carrion, scraps and offal from slaughterhouses and fishing boats. A food-pirate on several other raptors.
Eggs. Occasionally without markings, otherwise with variable, red-brown/dark brown spotting. Ground colour dull white. Texture fine granular, not glossy. Shape short subelliptical/subelliptical. Size 54 x 43 mm (47-61 x 37-47), weight 56 g.