[order] ACCIPITRIFORMES | [family] Accipitridae | [latin] Haliastur sphenurus | [authority] Vieillot, 1818 | [UK] Whistling Kite | [FR] Milan siffleur | [DE] Keilschwanz-Weih | [ES] Milano silbador | [NL] Wigstaartwouw
Members of the genus Haliastur are large kites, having moderately long and slightly pointed wings; a longish, rounded tail, and short, heavy legs. The hook of the beak is more pronounced than in any other kite genus.
The genus, which is related to but less specialised than Milvus (Black Kites and Red Kites), contains, like that species, two members, the Whistling Kite, and the Brahminy Kite. Its range is restricted to Australia and neighbouring islands.
The Whistling Kite is a medium-sized raptor (bird of prey) with a shaggy appearance. It has a light brown head and underparts, with pale streaks, and dark sandy-brown wings with paler undersides. The underwings have a characteristic pale ‘M’ shape when open. The head and body are relatively narrow and the tail is rounded. The wings are long and well-rounded, with a wingspan of 123 cm to 146 cm. The sexes are similar, but the females are larger. Yong birds are slightly darker above, with paler streaking on head and underbody. A long-winged, long-tailed bird, the tail rounded at the tip and not forked. The outer primaries are black, the first few secondaries pale, and the remainder dark brown. The flight feathers are separated from the lesser under-wing coverts by a pale band, creating a distinctive underwing pattern. The body is light brown with darker streaks. In flight the wings are held out level with the body with no noticeable dihedral.
Listen to the sound of Whistling Kite
Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto
Australasia : widespread. The Whistling Kite, also known as the Whistling Hawk and the Whistling Eagle can be found throughout Australia, but not Tasmania. It is somewhat rarer in the south-west, but well represented in most of the continent. It is also to be found in Eastern New Guinea and New Caledonia.
Both in Australia and in islands to the north it prefers the vicinity of water, whether sea coasts and harbours, inland waterways or flood plains and swamps, but it is not con.fined to wet areas and ranges also over dry open country. Its flight is easy and buoyant, a little like a harrier, though it is larger, and in general similar to the Black Kite Milvus migrans. It calls often in flight. It is usually seen in pairs or small groups, and hunts over the countryside flying at 100-200 feet above the ground or over water. It is less likely to hunt from perches than some other birds of its size. In New Caledonia each pair has a fixed territory which is hunted systematically. In Australia, however, it tends to perform local movements at which times it is likely to be quite gregarious, as it is before the breeding season, when up to 100 may be seen together.
The birds move into breeding areas from their wintering areas in large flocks. In these flocks they soar and call continually, and the flocks later break up into smaller groups and into pairs, when the birds become even more voal. Nuptial display is initiated in the migrant flock, and after separating into pairs becomes more intense. It consists mostly of soaring over the breeding ground with much calling, but without spectacular aerial manoeuvres. Very often several birds soar together in the breeding season and the display then tends to be communal. Nests are built in trees larger than the neighbouring trees, often growing along a river. A new nest takes about a month to build, and will be small and slight, but is often used year after year and in the course of time grows to 26-30 inches across by twelve inches deep, with a cup six inches across and three inches deep in the centre. It is built of sticks, by the birds themselves, though sometimes based on the abandoned nest of another species. Several pairs may nest in the same tree. The birds roost in an old nest for about four months before finally laying. Two eggs are normally laid, sometimes three. They are laid in almost any month of the year, with a peak laying period between July and October. Both the season and the number of pairs breeding may be affected by variations in food supply. Replacement clutches may be laid if the first is lost. The young develop feathers by 35 days and spend at least 40 in the nest.
Rabbits, small mammals, lizards, fish, sea-snakes, insects, caterpillars and occasionally unguarded poultry are taken. Rabbits are probably the most prominent prey, on which grounds the species is sometimes regarded as beneficial to man. It feeds on carrion freely and as a result is liable to poisoning. All food, apart from some insects, is taken on the ground or from the water surface, and it will wade to obtain dead fish. It is not agile enough to take birds in the air, though it will snatch small birds from the ground. It is occasionally piratical, robbing other birds of prey.
copyright: Josep del Hoyo
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Partly migratory and dispersive within Australia. Migratory in South and Southeast, wintering in milder coastal and Northern areas; some birds resident in both temperate and tropical areas. In its movements it tends to be nomadic rather than truly migratory. The movements are in part a result of variations in food supply, e.g., plagues of caterpillars or abundant carrion.
[A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [ Kamba ya mdomo ni dhahiri zaidi kuliko katika jamii nyingine yoyote ya ndege. Jamii hiyo, ambayo ni kuhusiana na lakini chini maalumu kuliko Milvus (Black Kites na Red Kites), ina, kama kwamba spishi, wanachama wawili, Whistling Kite, na Brahminy Kite. Eneo lake la kuenea linapatikana tu huko Australia na visiwa vya jirani. Ndege anayeitwa Whistling Kite ni ndege wa ukubwa wa kati anayeitwa raptor (mwindaji) mwenye sura ya manyoya. Ina kichwa na sehemu za chini za rangi ya kahawia nyepesi, zenye mistari meupe, na mabawa ya rangi ya kahawia yenye rangi ya mchanga yenye sehemu za chini zenye rangi nyeupe. Underwings kuwa na tabia nyeupe <unk>M<unk> umbo wakati wazi. Kichwa na mwili ni nyembamba kwa kulinganisha na mkia ni mviringo. Mabawa yake ni marefu na yenye umbo la mviringo, na urefu wa mabawa yake ni kati ya sentimita 123 na 146. Jinsia hizo zinafanana, lakini wanawake ni wakubwa zaidi. Ndege wa Yong ni weusi kidogo juu, wakiwa na mistari meupe kwenye kichwa na sehemu ya chini ya mwili. Ndege mwenye mabawa marefu, mkia mrefu, mkia uliozungukwa kwenye ncha na usio na matuta. Nyuzinyuzi za nje ni nyeusi, nyuzinyuzi za pili za kwanza ni nyeupe, na nyuzinyuzi zilizobaki ni za rangi ya kahawia nyeusi. Manyoya ya ndege hutenganishwa na vifuniko vidogo vya chini ya mabawa kwa mkanda mweupe, na hivyo kutokeza muundo wa chini ya mabawa. Mwili ni kahawia nyepesi na mistari nyeusi. Wakati wa kuruka mabawa huwekwa sawa na mwili bila dihedral inayoonekana. Sikiliza sauti ya Whistling Kite Taarifa ya Haki za Uandishi: Sauti nyingi zinatokana na xeno-canto Australasia: kuenea. Ndege anayeitwa Whistling Kite, anayejulikana pia kama Whistling Hawk na Whistling Eagle, anaweza kupatikana kotekote Australia, lakini si Tasmania. Ni kidogo nadra katika kusini-magharibi, lakini ni vizuri kuwakilishwa katika sehemu kubwa ya bara. Pia hupatikana katika Mashariki ya New Guinea na New Caledonia. Katika Australia na visiwa vya kaskazini, hupendelea maeneo ya karibu na maji, iwe ni pwani na bandari, njia za maji za ndani au nyanda za mafuriko na mabwawa, lakini haipungukiwi na maeneo ya mvua na pia huenea juu ya nchi kavu. Ndege huyo ni mwepesi na mwenye nguvu, kama ndege aina ya harrier, ingawa ni mkubwa zaidi, na kwa ujumla anafanana na ndege aina ya Black Kite Milvus migrans. Mara nyingi huita wakati wa kuruka. Kwa kawaida huonekana katika jozi au makundi madogo, na huwinda juu ya mashamba akiruka kwa futi 100 hadi 200 juu ya ardhi au juu ya maji. Ni uwezekano mdogo zaidi wa kuwinda kutoka kwenye viti kuliko ndege wengine wa ukubwa wake. Katika New Caledonia kila jozi ina eneo la kudumu ambalo linanyanyaswa kwa utaratibu. Hata hivyo, katika Australia, yeye huelekea kufanya harakati za mahali fulani, na wakati huo huenda akawa na ushirika, kama ilivyo kabla ya majira ya kuzaliana, wakati ambapo huenda ikawa na watu 100 pamoja. Ndege hao huhamia katika maeneo ya kuzaliana kutoka maeneo yao ya kukaa majira ya baridi kali wakiwa makundi makubwa. Katika makundi hayo, ndege huinuka na kupiga sauti kwa ukawaida, na baadaye makundi hayo hugawanyika katika vikundi vidogo na katika jozi, wakati ndege wanapokuwa na sauti kubwa zaidi. Maonyesho ya arusi huanza katika kundi la wahamiaji, na baada ya kutenganishwa katika jozi huwa makali zaidi. Hasa hutia ndani kuruka juu ya mahali pa kuzaliana kwa sauti kubwa, lakini bila ujanja wa angani wenye kuvutia. Mara nyingi ndege kadhaa huruka pamoja katika majira ya kuzaliana na maonyesho hayo huwa ya pamoja. Vifuko hivyo hujengwa kwenye miti mikubwa kuliko miti jirani, ambayo mara nyingi hukua kando ya mto. Kiota kipya huchukua karibu mwezi mmoja kujenga, na itakuwa ndogo na nyepesi, lakini mara nyingi hutumiwa mwaka baada ya mwaka na kwa muda hukua hadi inchi 26-30 kwa inchi kumi na mbili kwa kina, na kikombe cha inchi sita kwa kina na inchi tatu katikati. Jengo hilo limejengwa kwa vijiti, na ndege wenyewe, ingawa nyakati nyingine linajengwa juu ya kiota cha spishi nyingine kilichokuwa kimekosa kutumiwa. Huenda jozi kadhaa zikafanya viota kwenye mti uleule. Ndege hao hukaa katika kiota cha zamani kwa miezi minne hivi kabla ya kuzaana. Kwa kawaida hutia mayai mawili, nyakati nyingine matatu. Wao huwekwa karibu katika mwezi wowote wa mwaka, na kipindi cha juu cha kuwekwa kati ya Julai na Oktoba. Majira na idadi ya jozi za kuzaliana zaweza kuathiriwa na tofauti za ugavi wa chakula. Clutches badala inaweza kuwekwa kama kwanza ni waliopotea. Watoto huanza kuota manyoya yao baada ya siku 35 na hutumia angalau siku 40 katika kiota. Sungura, mamalia wadogo, korongo, samaki, nyoka wa baharini, wadudu, vipepeo na mara kwa mara kuku wasiohifadhiwa huchukuliwa. Yaelekea sungura ndio mawindo mashuhuri zaidi, na kwa sababu hiyo nyakati nyingine spishi hiyo huonwa kuwa yenye manufaa kwa mwanadamu. Yeye hula wanyama waliokufa kwa uhuru na kwa sababu hiyo anaweza kuharibiwa na sumu. Chakula chote, isipokuwa wadudu fulani, huchukuliwa ardhini au juu ya maji, na huanza kutafuta samaki waliokufa. Hawi mwepesi vya kutosha kuchukua ndege hewani, ingawa atachukua ndege wadogo kutoka ardhini. Nyakati nyingine yeye ni mwindaji-nyara, akinyang'anya ndege wengine chakula. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Jini hii ina eneo kubwa sana, na kwa hivyo haikaribi mipaka ya hatari chini ya kiwango cha ukubwa wa eneo (Upanuaji wa kutokea <20,000 km2 pamoja na kupungua au kutofautiana kwa ukubwa wa eneo, ukubwa wa makazi, au ukubwa wa idadi na idadi ndogo ya maeneo au kugawanyika kwa nguvu.""" "Hata hivyo, licha ya ukweli kwamba mwenendo wa idadi ya watu unaonekana kupungua, kupungua kwa idadi ya watu haukuaminiwa kuwa kwa kasi ya kutosha kukaribia mipaka ya ""kuathirika"" chini ya kipimo cha mwenendo wa idadi ya watu (kupungua kwa zaidi ya 30% kwa miaka kumi au vizazi vitatu)." Idadi ya watu ni kubwa sana, na kwa hiyo haikaribiani na mipaka ya hatari chini ya kipimo cha ukubwa wa idadi ya watu (kiwango cha watu wazima 10,000 na kupungua kwa kuendelea kwa takwimu ya zaidi ya 10% katika miaka kumi au vizazi vitatu, au na muundo maalum wa idadi ya watu). Kwa sababu hizi spishi ni tathmini kama wasiwasi mdogo. Kwa sehemu wanahamia na kutawanyika ndani ya Australia. Ndege hao huhamia maeneo ya kusini na kusini-mashariki, na wakati wa majira ya baridi kali huishi katika maeneo ya pwani na kaskazini; ndege fulani huishi katika maeneo yenye joto la wastani na maeneo ya kitropiki. Katika harakati zake huwa na mwelekeo wa kutembea-tembea badala ya kuhamia. Hatua hizo ni sehemu ya matokeo ya tofauti katika ugavi wa chakula, kwa mfano, tauni ya vimelea au maiti nyingi.