05 Nov, 2007

An adult kite keeps an eye on its chicks

Today I revisited the yellow-billed kite nest I’ve filmed before, in part of the forest that runs through the Umdloti Coastal Conservancy on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal, on the eastern side of South Africa.

One of the adult yellow-billed kites (Milvus migrans parasitus) was sitting high up in a milkwood tree, and keeping a close eye on its nest, which harboured two chicks. While it did so, it used the time to groom its feathers.

This species of kite has a very long tail, which it uses to manoeuvre and steer itself during flight, making it appear to ‘hang’ in the air, as though from an invisible string.

Learning to use this important instrument of flight will be vital to the survival of the fledglings, which will soon be leaving the nest.

Yellow-billed kites scout for food from the air, twisting their tails to steer, and swooping down quickly when they spot something to eat, such as an animal carcass.

They can also catch prey, such as smaller birds, on the wing, and eat termites, locusts, other insects, frogs, snakes and lizards, among other things. These birds are also ‘kleptoparasitic’, which means they sometimes steal food from other predators, including other raptors.

– André Cronje, Earth-Touch crew © Earth-Touch

Comments

Please log in or join to post a comment.