• Source: Kite (bird)

Kite is the common name for certain birds of prey in the family Accipitridae, particularly in subfamilies Milvinae, Elaninae, and Perninae. The term is derived from Old English cȳta (“kite; bittern”), possibly from the onomatopoeic Proto-Indo-European root *gū- , "screech."
Some authors use the terms "hovering kite" and "soaring kite" to distinguish between Elanus and the milvine kites, respectively. The group may also be differentiated by size, referring to milvine kites as "large kites", and elanine kites as "small kites".




Species


Subfamily Elaninae
Genus Elanus
Black-winged kite, Elanus caeruleus
Black-shouldered kite, Elanus axillaris
White-tailed kite, Elanus leucurus
Letter-winged kite, Elanus scriptus
Genus Chelictinia
Scissor-tailed kite, Chelictinia riocourii
Genus Gampsonyx
Pearl kite, Gampsonyx swainsonii
Subfamily Harpiinae
Genus Machaerhamphus
Bat hawk, Machaerhamphus alcinus – traditionally Elaninae or Falconinae
Subfamily Elaninae or Perninae
Genus Elanoides – often classified in Perninae
Swallow-tailed kite, Elanoides forficatus
Subfamily Milvinae
Genus Haliastur
Whistling kite, Haliastur sphenurus
Brahminy kite, Haliastur indus
Genus Milvus
Red kite, Milvus milvus
Cape Verde kite, Milvus (milvus) fasciicauda – extinct (2000)
Black kite, Milvus migrans
Black-eared kite, Milvus (migrans) lineatus
Yellow-billed kite, Milvus (migrans) aegyptius
Subfamily Milvinae or Buteoninae, or tribe Harpagini
Genus Harpagus
Double-toothed kite, Harpagus bidentatus
Rufous-thighed kite, Harpagus diodon
Subfamily Milvinae or Buteoninae
Genus Ictinia
Mississippi kite, Ictinia mississippiensis
Plumbeous kite, Ictinia plumbea
Genus Rostrhamus
Snail kite, Rostrhamus sociabilis
Genus Helicolestes
Slender-billed kite, Helicolestes hamatus – formerly in Rostrhamus
Subfamily Milvinae or Perninae
Genus Lophoictinia
Square-tailed kite, Lophoictinia isura
Genus Hamirostra
Black-breasted buzzard, Hamirostra melanosternon
A few of the traditional Perninae are also called kites.

Genus Leptodon
Grey-headed kite, Leptodon cayanensis
White-collared kite, Leptodon forbesi
Genus Chondrohierax
Hook-billed kite, Chondrohierax uncinatus
Cuban kite, Chondrohierax wilsonii




Taxonomy and systematics






= 19th century

=
In 1824, Vigors proposed five divisions or stirpes of the family Falconidae: Aquilina (eagles), Accipitrina (hawks), Falconina (falcons), Buteonina (buzzards) and Milvina (kites, containing two genera Elanus and Milvus). He characterized the kites as having weaker bill and feebler talons than the buzzards, tail more or less forked, and wings longer than the tail.: 314 
In Elanus, he grouped the black-winged kite (now several Elanus spp.), scissor-tailed kite (now Chelictinia), and swallow-tailed kite (now Elanoides). These species all have pointed wings with the second primary the longest. The pattern of scales on the legs (acrotarsi) is reticulated, and the toes are separated. But Vigors noted that only the black-winged kite had rounded undersides on the nails of its talons, a trait found in the osprey but not in any other raptors, and thus suggested a separation of Elanus into two sections.: 333  A year later, he established a separate genus Nauclerus for the scissor- and swallow-tailed kites.
Milvus contained the familiar red and black kites. The fourth primary feather is the longest, leg scales are scutellated, and the exterior toe is united to the middle toe by a membrane.: 334 
Vigors placed Ictinia – "the Milan Cresserelle of M. Vieillot" and "the Mississippi Kite of Mr. Wilson" – into Buteonina. Though noting that "the wings are of considerable length, extending far beyond the tail, a character which has induced M. Vieillot and others to place this bird near the Kites", he wrote that the strong affinity in characteristics and manners warranted it to be placed closer to the falcons.: 331 




= 20th century

=
Swann's 1922 synopsis grouped all the kites together with the "cuckoo-falcons" and honey buzzards into a large Milvinæ subfamily. His order was: Elanoides, Chelictinia, Milvus, Lophoictinia, Rostrhamus, Helicolestes, Chondrohierax, Odontriorchis, Gypoictinia (=Hamirostra), Elanus, Gampsonyx, Ictinia, Harpagus, Baza, Aviceda, Henicopernis, Machærhamphus, Pernis.
In contrast, Peters grouped the large kites into subfamily Milvinae and most small kites into Elaninae, with a few small kites joining the honey-buzzards and bazas in Perninae. His arrangement of kite genera was as follows:

Elaninae: Elanus, Chelictinia, Machaerhamphus.
Perninae: Elanoïdes, (Aviceda, Henicopernis, Pernis, Odontotriorchis), Chondrohierax.
Milvinae: Harpagus, Ictinia, Rostrhamus, Helicolestes, Milvus, Lophoictinia, Hamirostra, Haliastur.
Polyhieracinae: Gampsonyx
The pearl kite Gampsonyx had variously been placed with the accipiters, forest-falcons, or elanine kites. It was not until the 1960s that a similar molt schedule established its affinity to Elanus.




= 21st century

=
By 2015, genetic research showed that many of the kite genera are related to honey-buzzards, and that the tiny bat hawk (Machaerhamphus or Macheirhamphus) is actually related to the huge harpy eagles. Several of the large kites are related more closely to the Buteo hawks (buzzards) than to the group of "true" kites and sea-eagles.
Boyd places the "true" milvine kites (Milvus and Haliastur) with the sea-eagles in tribe Milvini within Buteoninae. This results in the following arrangement (genera in parentheses are not generally called kites):

Elaninae: Gampsonyx, Chelictinia, Elanus.
Perninae: Chondrohierax, Leptodon, Elanoides, (Pernis), Hamirostra, Lophoictinia, (Henicopernis).
Buteoninae
Harpagini: Harpagus.
Milvini: Haliastur, Milvus, (Haliaeetus, Icthyophaga).
Buteonini: many genera, including the kites Ictinia, Rostrhamus, and Helicolestes.
Ictinia is near-basal, after the Old-World genus Butastur. Rostrhamus and Helicolestes form a clade with the black-collared hawk (Busarellus) and the crane hawk (Geranospiza).
As early as 1882, Anton Reichenow had also placed Section Milvinæ alongside Section Buteoninæ in Subfamily Buteoninæ.: 18 




In mythology


Isis is said in ancient Egyptian mythology to have taken the form of a kite in various situations in order to resurrect the dead.
It also figures in several fables by Aesop which underline its character as a predator: The Sick Kite, The Kite and the Doves and a variant of The Crow and the Snake.
In pre-colonial Philippine mythology, the Tagalog creation myth begins with a kite, the sea, and the sky. The kite causes the sea and sky to go to war, and after the war, land is formed, allowing the kite to finally land and build a nest.
In Bushongo mythology, Chedi Bumba (third son of the god M'Bombo: the original creator of everything) in his quest to improve upon his father's design; was only able to create the Kite.




References






External links


Weekly Radio Segments from With the Wild Things: Kites
Kite videos on the Internet Bird Collection

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