5, see text The black kite (Milvus migrans) is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors.

It is thought to be the world's most abundant species of Accipitridae, although some populations have experienced dramatic declines or fluctuations.

The black kite was described by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon in his Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux in 1770.

[3] The bird was also illustrated in a hand-coloured plate engraved by François-Nicolas Martinet in the Planches Enluminées D'Histoire Naturelle which was produced under the supervision of Edme-Louis Daubenton to accompany Buffon's text.

[6] The current genus Milvus was erected by the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède in 1799.

These birds are usually of the nominate race, but in November 2006 a juvenile of the eastern lineatus, not previously recorded in western Europe, was found in Lincolnshire.

[20] The species is not found in the Indonesian archipelago between the South East Asian mainland and the Wallace Line.

[25] Vagrants from Australia occasionally reach New Zealand, however, only one individual has persisted there (currently ~21 years old).

They will swoop down with their legs lowered to snatch small live prey, fish, household refuse and carrion, for which behaviour they are known in British military slang as the shite-hawk.

[29] Kites are also known to spread wildfires in northern Australia by picking up and dropping burning twigs so as to flush prey,[30][31] leading to them being known in some circles as "firehawks".

[34] Black kites in Spain prey on nestling waterfowl especially during summer to feed their young.

[35] Kites have also been seen to tear and carry away the nests of baya weavers in an attempt to obtain eggs or chicks.

[33] When migrating, the black kite has a greater propensity to form large flocks than other migratory raptors, particularly prior to making a crossing over water.

[37] In India, the subspecies govinda shows large seasonal fluctuations with the highest numbers seen from July to October, after the monsoons, and it has been suggested that they make local movements in response to high rainfall.

[38] The breeding season of the black kite in India begins in winter (mainly January and February[39]), the young birds fledging before the monsoons.

Birds in the Italian Alps tend to build their nest close to water in steep cliffs or tall trees.

[41] The nests may sometimes be decorated with bright materials such as white plastic and a study in Spain suggests that they may have a role in signalling to keep away other kites.

[47] Newly hatched young have down (prepennae) which are sepia on the back and black around the eye and buff on the head, neck and underparts.

The nestlings initially feed on food fallen at the bottom of the nest and begin to tear flesh after 33–39 days.

[52][53] Their habit of swooping to pick up dead rodents or other roadkill leads to collisions with vehicles.

[59][60][61] Birds with abnormal development of a secondary upper mandible have been recorded in govinda[62] and lineatus subspecies.