Black-winged kite spotted in Lorestan for first time

Nabiullah Ghaedi said on Saturday that the head of Pol-e Dokhtar's department of environment managed to observe and photograph a 'black-winged kite' in this city for the first time.

The black-winged kite (Elanus caeruleus), also known as the black-shouldered kite, is a small diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae best known for its habit of hovering over open grasslands in the manner of the much smaller kestrels.

This kite is distinctive, with long wings; white, grey and black plumage; and owl-like forward-facing eyes with red irises. Although mainly seen on plains, they are sometimes seen on grassy slopes of hills in the higher elevation regions of Asia. They are not migratory but show nomadism in response to weather and food availability.

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