Wildlife Facts The Brahminy Kite, or Haliastur indus, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harriers. It lives throughout tropical Asia and the coast of Northern Australia. What do they look like? As adults, their head, neck and breast are white. The rest of the body is bright chestnut in color. The juveniles are varigated brown and white. The wing tips are black and the feet yellow. Its tail is rounded and very apparent in flight. They are 49-51 cm in size. Where did our Kite come from? As a scavenger, this specific kite was caught in a chicken farm where he was found attacking the chickens. Upon arrival here we also discovered many broken wing and tail feathers, making it very difficult for the bird to fly. This is probably why he was going after the chickens. These feather will eventually re-grow, but it could take many weeks. Does it make any sounds? The sound it makes is described as a thin mewing scream kweeaa or kyeeer, usually while soaring. Where do they live? The Brahminy kite prefers wet areas like mudflats, mangroves, estuaries, rivers, lakes, and freshwater wetlands, including rice fields. What do they eat? Brahminy kites are primarily scavengers, although they also eat small prey such as fish, crabs, shellfish, frogs, rodents, reptiles, and even insects. They forage both over water and land, soaring 20-50 meters above the surface. Prey on the water surface is snatched with their talons. Brahminy Kites don't dive into the water. They scavenge on dead animals that are brought in with the tides and on human food scraps, which is why they are quite common at harbors and coastal fish/food processing sites. They may steal from other raptors, eating the catch in flight to prevent it from being stolen back. How do they breed? They are solitary until mating season, during which they perform aerial acrobatics. They nest in tall trees and prefer nesting in mangroves when available. Their nest is compact and made of twigs and sticks. The nest is often lined with dried mud. A first-time nest is usually thin, but as the pair reuses the site, the nest thickens. Two eggs are laid, white with sparse red-brown blotches. Both parents raise the young. What is their conservation status? While they are still commonly seen along mangrove coasts, their numbers are declining due to habitat loss. They are also hunted in Thailand, along with other kites, and their young taken for pets. Their tendency to raid prawn and fish farms, and even steal chickens, also cause them to be considered as pests in some areas. What are Brahminy Kites?
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