Education & Conservation

Home   > Education & Conservation   > About Brahminy Kite (Click-Readmore)

About Brahminy Kite (Click-Readmore)


BRAHMINY KITE

 

Scientific name: Haliastur Indus
Higher classification: haliastur
Conservation status: Least Concern (Population decreasing)

Brahminy kite is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae such as the eagles.
They are found in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Australia. Adults have a reddish- brown body plumage contrasting with their white head and breast which make them easy to distinguish from other birds of prey. Brahminy kite do not migrate but perform seasonal movement associated with rainfall in some parts of their range. Brahminy Kites are carnivores and scavengers.

Diet and Nutrition

Brahminy kites are carnivores and scavengers. They are primarily scavengers and feed mainly on dead fish and crabs, especially in wetlands and marshland, but occasionally hunt live prey such as hares, bats, and flying insects.

FACT OF BRAHMINY KITE

  1. A rare instance has been recorded when the Brahminy kite was feeding on honey at the hive of Dwarf honey bees.
  2. Young Brahminy kites like to play; they may drop leaves and try to catch them in the air.
  3. When fishing over water, Brahminy kites may sometimes land in the water, but manage to swim and take off without much trouble.
  4. Brahminy kites gather in communal roosts that may sometimes number as many as 600 individuals!
  5. Known as elang bondol in Indonesia, the Brahminy kite is the official mascot of Jakarta. In Hinduism, it is considered as the contemporary representation of Garuda, the sacred bird of Vishnu.