Whistling Kite
Adult, Profile In Flight
Ellura
Little Eagle
Dark Morph Immature
 
                      
Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus)Class: Animals (Animalia) - Chordates (Chordata) - Birds (Aves)
Order: Birds of Prey (Falconiformes)
Family: Eagle & Hawk (Accipitridae)     iNaturalist Observation
Species: Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus)
This Photo:     Adult, Ventral In Flight

Thank you Jack Morgan for confirming the id of this species for us

General Species Information:
Found on Ellura (in the Murray Mallee, SA), the Riverland and elsewhere
Very large. We thought kites were smaller.
Brown wings and buff breast.
Juveniles have white wing tips which show up as "freckles".
Regular white patches on its back and wings when at rest.

Similar Species: Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides)

Copyright © 2012-2024 Brett & Marie Smith. All Rights Reserved. Photographed 07-Oct-2012
This species is classed as LC (Least Concern) in the Murray Mallee, SA, by DENR (Regional Species Status Assessments, July 2010)