Yellow-billed Kite

Afrikaans name: Geelbekwou

Yellow-billed Kites have a distinctive shape to their tail in flight

Photo © Steven Herbert

Milvus aegyptius parasitus

The Yellow-billed Kite is regarded by many scientists as a sub-species of the Black Kite Milvus migrans.

Yellow-billed Kites breed in South Africa during summer but migrate north during winter. They start arriving back during August.

In many areas they are a common sight during summer. In fact they are the 'hawk' that many people are familiar with. They have a slow flight and swivel their tails a lot.

Photo © Steven Herbert

Those that regard them as 'hawks' want to lock up their pets when they are around for fear that they will be carried off. In reality they eat insects and small mammals. Road kill is a favourite of theirs.

The Yellow-billed Kite is found in most areas, apart from those that are really arid.

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References and further reading

A Field Guide to the Birds of Southern Africa - 2nd Edition - Author: O.P.M. Prozesky - Year Published: 1983 - Page: 68

A First Guide to South African Birds - 6th Edition - Author: Leonard Gill - Year Published: 1959 - Page: 126

A First Guide to South African Birds - 7th Edition - Author: Leonard Gill - Year Published: 1975 - Page: 126

African Birds of Prey - Author: Leslie Brown - Year Published: 1970 - Page: 53

An Introduction to the Birds of Prey of South Africa - Author: D.V. Prout-Jones - Year Published: 1974 - Page: 34

An Introduction to the Birds of Prey of South Africa - Author: D.V. Prout-Jones - Year Published: 1974 - Page: 95

Animals of the Kruger National Park - Author: G. de Graaff - Year Published: 1987 - Page: 69

Birds of Prey of Southern Africa - Author: Peter Steyn - Year Published: 1985 - Page: 41

Birds of Prey of Southern Africa - Author: Peter Steyn - Year Published: 1985 - Page: 43

Birds of Southern Africa - Kruger National Park - Author: Kenneth Newman - Year Published: 1985 - Page: 64

Birds of the Natal Drakensberg Park - Author: Robin Little and William Bainbridge - Year Published: 1992 - Page: 14

Birds of the South Western Cape - Author: Joy Frandsen - Year Published: - Page: 50

Birds of the Transvaal - Author: Tarboton, Kemp and Kemp - Year Published: 1987 - Page: 44

Collins Illustrated Checklist - Birds of Southern Africa - 1st edition - Author: Ber van Perlo - Year Published: 1999 - Page: 14

Eagles, Hawks & Falcons of the World - Author: Leslie Brown and Dean Amadon - Year Published: 1989 - Page: 262

Everyone's Guide to South African Birds - Author: John Sinclair and John Mendelsohn - Year Published: 1987 - Page: 54

Field Guide to the Birds of Kruger National Park - Author: Ian Sinclair and Ian Whyte - Year Published: 1991 - Page: 50

Ian Sinclair's Field Guide to the Birds of Southern Africa - 2nd Edition - Author: Ian Sinclair - Year Published: 1988 - Page: 88

Know your Birds of Prey - Author: - Year Published: - Page: 25

Newman's Birds of Southern Africa - 1st Edition - Author: Ken Newman - Year Published: 1984 - Page: 158

Newman's Birds of Southern Africa - 7th Edition - Author: Ken Newman - Year Published: 2000 - Page: 158

Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa - 1st Edition - Author: Dr. Austin Roberts - Year Published: 1949 - Page: 50

Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa - 3rd Edition - Author: McLachlan and Liversidge - Year Published: 1975 - Page: 86

Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa - 4th Edition - Author: McLachlan and Liversidge - Year Published: 1981 - Page: 92

Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa - 6th Edition - Author: Gordon Lindsay Maclean - Year Published: 1993 - Page: 107

Sasol Birds of Prey of Africa and its Islands - Author: Alan and Meg Kemp - Year Published: 1998 - Page: 186

Sasol Birds of Southern Africa - 1st Edition - Author: Ian Sinclair et al. - Year Published: 1993 - Page: 108

Sasol Birds of Southern Africa - 4th Edition - Author: Ian Sinclair et al. - Year Published: 2011 - Page: 104

Southern African Bird Names Explained - Author: Charles Clinning - Year Published: 1989 - Page: 87

Suburban Wildlife in KZN - Author: Jason Londt - Year Published: 2009 - Page: 116

The Status & Conservation of Birds of Prey in the Transvaal - Author: W. Tarboton and D. Allan - Year Published: 1984 - Page: 22

Wildlife of Southern Africa - Author: Martin Withers and David Hosking - Year Published: 2011 - Page: 48

List of South African Birds