155. Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

Black Kites are similar in appearance to Red Kites, but as the name suggests, darker. They are also a little smaller, with shorter wings and a shorter, less deeply-forked tail. The photo shows a juvenile; the adults are darker brown without the pale head and their underwing pattern appears much more uniformly dull than on Red Kites'. They are very widely distributed across most of Europe, except the UK and the Nordic countries, and are for the most part migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa. Like Red Kites they are carrion eaters, and are more closely associated with water, liking woodland and open land near rivers, lakes and seashores. They may also be found close to human settlements due to the easy pickings food-wise!

Black Kite, ©birdsaspoetry, via Flickr Creative Commons.

Black Kite painting.

I've made it a bit tall and thin but quite like it nonetheless.