Black-shouldered kites are small, elegant hawks, often seen hovering over grasslands and open paddocks or perched high on an open branch. They are 330-380mm long, with a wingspan of 820-940mm and weight 250-349 g, slightly larger than a Nankeen Kestrel. They have a similar appearance to Letter-winged Kites E. scriptus, and both have striking large red eyes which can appear very dark in shadow, as well as yellow feet and dull yellowish cere. The two species are easily differentiated in flight by their under-wing patterns. Letter-winged Kites have a pale underwing with a clear black bar often appearing as an “m”, while Black-shouldered Kites have a small black patch at the carpal joint and grey primaries. Perched, the species are very similar, both having a black “shoulder”, and can be differentiated mainly by the shape of the eye-patch. Black-shouldered Kites have a dark smudge behind the eye, lacking in Letter-winged Kites. Juvenile Letter-winged Kites have an orange-tan collar on their upper breast, and a tan wash on their backs, with paler edges to their wing coverts, giving them a mottled appearance. They can be confused with Nankeen Kestrels.
The flight of Black-shouldered Kites is often described as buoyant with frequent glides, whereas Letter-winged Kites fly with a deeper wingbeat.
Black-shouldered Kites can be found almost anywhere in mainland Australia, while Letter-winged Kites are restricted to the arid interior, so distribution can be a guide to identification.
The diet of Black-shouldered Kites consists mainly of rodents and other small mammals and marsupials, as well as lizards, insects and birds, though the introduced house mouse Mus musculus forms a major part of their diet. They have a wide gape, permitting them to swallow mice whole. When hunting, they hover, watching, then dive feet-first towards their prey, with wings stretched upwards. Hovering, they appear to defy gravity, remaining in the same spot as if suspended on an invisible line, tails pointed down, eyes scanning the ground, and wings moving in wide arcs. About 75% of attacks are successful. Prey is either eaten in flight or taken back to a perch. Pellets and castings can be found beneath preferred perches. Eastman’s video, listed in the references below, shows Black-shouldered Kites hovering. Their large eyes permit hunting in the low light of dusk and dawn. They may have benefited from agriculture which provides open areas for hunting as well as attracting rodents for food, though overgrazing may compact the soil, reducing habitat for their favoured prey.
Like many Australian birds, Black-shouldered Kites are nomadic, following food sources. They are often found in pairs, which may give them a breeding advantage, since they can start breeding immediately they find reliable food. The Australian Bird and Bat Banding Database reports that 729 Black-shouldered Kites have been banded since 1958, and 31 have been recovered. The average distance between capture and recapture was 165 k, and the maximum was 1073 k. This bird was originally banded in the Red Banks area of South Australia and was recovered after 3 years 6.3 months at Lithgow in New South Wales. There have been none recovered since 1997.
Breeding occurs whenever prey is abundant, and pairs may breed twice in a season if conditions permit. Plagues of mice may support more than one clutch. A stick nest lined with leaves, bark, wool or fur is built in dense foliage towards the top of a tall tree. The usual clutch is 2 to 4 eggs. The female incubates for 30 to 34 days while the male hunts and stands guard in a nearby tree. The young fledge at about 35 days. They can feed themselves after seven days and leave their parents within a month. There have been reports of pairs breeding close to each other, though this is thought to be related to abundant food rather than true colonial breeding.
Black-shouldered Kites are generally silent. However, they have a number of vocalisations, particularly in the breeding season, including a clear whistled call in flight, a hoarse wheezing in flight, a short high whistle as a contact call, harsh scraping calls between females and large young and a deep, soft, frog-like croak used by brooding females to their young.
References:
- Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme (ABBBS) 2025. “ABBBS Database Search “Black-shouldered Kite”. Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Retrieved 1 Jan, 2026.
- Eastman, B. Enter The Wild | Ep 1: Hovering Hunter, the Black-shouldered Kite https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55a4u3Iue0E
- Morcombe, M. 2000. Field Guide to Australian Birds. Queensland, Australia: Steve Parish Publishing. pp. 88–89.
- Marchant, S. and Higgins, P.J. (eds) 1993. Handbook of Australian New Zealand and Antarctic Birds Vol. 2: (Raptors to Lapwings). Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
- Olsen, P. et al 1993. The National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife: Birds of Prey and Ground Birds of Australia. Angus and Robertson, Sydney.
- Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-shouldered_kite
