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Black-shouldered Kite Elanus axillaris |
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This small conspicuous raptor is mostly seen hovering over grassland or perching on the tops of dead tree or on power lines in open grassland and woodland outside the suburbs. It feeds mainly on mice, and other small mammals and grasshoppers. The number of birds seen in any year fluctuates considerably, mainly because Black-shouldered Kites tend to congregate where their preferred food is found. Since the population of mice in the wild and on farmland fluctuates markedly, the numbers of this bird in the local area does also. This raptor is unusual in that it is a winter breeder. Numbers are at a peak in July then drop to a minimum by February. Numbers were high in the first two years followed by a large drop in 1983, building up inconsistently but slowly for the next nine years with much higher numbers in 1993. R=71.
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