I am sure most of us who watch movies have heard the shrill, ominous, threatening call of a raptor, to accompany an action scene or a scene in the desert.
While in Mumbai recently, I managed to walk to the rooftop of the three-level building where I was living to be welcomed by the call of the majestic Black Kites. I took the pictures here in Mumbai during my visit in February.
Black Kites are a part of the raptor (birds of prey) family and actually has a brown plumage! From a distance, it appears almost black, with a light brown bar on the shoulder. The plumage is actually dark brown, with scattered light brown and rufous markings, particularly on the head, neck and underparts.
The tail is forked and barred with darker brown. This feature gives the bird its alternative name of a fork-tailed Kite. The eyes are dark brown and the bill is black with a yellow cere (area of skin around the nostrils). Both sexes are similar. Young Black Kites are generally lighter in colour than the adults, and have a comparatively shallower forked tail.
These raptors are commonly seen across Asia, Australia and parts of Africa and Europe. One of the most common raptors, its population is big and healthy. These Black Kites have adapted themselves to urban areas too.
Kites are characterised by their long wings and tails, buoyant acrobatic flight, and ability to catch food in mid-air. They eat small mammals, other birds, carrion, insects, and have even been seen feeding on garbage at the dump in New Delhi, India. Their most notable trait is their ability to catch and eat prey while still in flight. They have also been observed catching large insects fleeing from wildfires. Unlike most raptors, they are a fairly social and gregarious species and often gather in large flocks to roost and feed.
Although it is more normally seen in small groups, the Black Kite may form huge flocks in the many thousands, especially during grasshopper plagues.
Black Kites nest in isolated pairs or in small, scattered colonies. As with other raptors, a ritualised aerial courtship display is performed by both sexes. This involves loud calling, grappling of talons, and tumbling or cartwheeling.
The nest is a bulky cup of sticks, lined with softer material, and is placed in the fork of a tree branch (generally close to the trunk). The female incubates the eggs while the male provides food.
So the next time you hear the shrieking, malevolent, sinister, threatening call, do make it a point to look up and spot this magnificent bird and admire it. After all, humans can still be more dangerous than these beauties of nature.
