Milvus milvus (Linnaeus, 1758) - Red Kite

Subspecies in India

This species is listed as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (https://www.iucnredlist.org/)


Photo Gallery and Species Biology


This species is uncommon. It inhabits woodlands and shrublands, from the sea level up to 1,600m. It mainly forages on carrion, small mammals, and birds. It is migratory, breeding in Turkey, Spain, Scandinavia, Italy, Germany, France, and Ukraine, and wintering in India, Iran, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Jordan, Mauritania, and Georgia during November-April (BirdLife International 2018).

Conservation Status:

This species is listed as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (https://www.iucnredlist.org/)


According to the IUCN Red List assessment, the population of this species is declining, with the current population estimate of 50,000-67,000 individuals. The major threat to its persistence comes from secondary poisoning by feeding on poisoned carrions. Other threats to it include habitat disturbance, road-kills and egg-poaching (BirdLife International 2018).

StateJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNo date
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Andhra Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Assam
Bihar
Chandigarh
Chhattisgarh
Dadra & Nagar Haveli
Daman & Diu
Delhi
Goa
Gujarat
Haryana
Himachal Pradesh
Jammu and Kashmir
Jharkhand
Karnataka
Kerala
Lakshadweep
Madhya Pradesh
Maharashtra
Manipur
Meghalaya
Mizoram
Nagaland
Odisha
Paschimbanga
Pondicherry
Punjab
Rajasthan
Sikkim
Tamil Nadu
Tripura
Uttar Pradesh
Uttarakhand
West Bengal
Total
BirdLife International 2018. Milvus milvus . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22695072A131877336. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22695072A131877336.en. Accessed on 15 February 2020.

Page citation

Anonymous 2024. Milvus milvus (Linnaeus, 1758) – Red Kite. In Satose, V., A. Bayani, V. Ramachandran, P. Roy, and K. Kunte (Chief Editors). Butterflies of India, v. 2.17. Published by the Indian Foundation for Butterflies. URL: https://www.birdsofindia.org/milvus-milvus, accessed 2024/12/05.