Red Kite

This raptor is both a resident and a migrant and is more often seen in the south and west of the Island. A good location where they can be regularly seen scavenging at the municipal dump of Son Reus is just outside Palma. Local conservation efforts have allowed the Red Kite population to increase and it can often be sighted near the motorway heading north to Alcudia and Puerto Pollensa.

Technical description

Red Kite (Milvus milvus) is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Red kites are 60 to 70 cm (24 to 28 in) long with a 175–179 cm (69–70 in) wingspan; males weigh 800–1,200 g (28–42 oz) and females 1,000–1,300 g (35–46 oz). It is an elegant bird, soaring on long wings held at a dihedral and long forked tail, twisting as it changes direction. The body, upper tail and wing coverts are rufous. The white primary flight feathers contrast with the black wing tips and dark secondaries. Apart from the weight difference, the sexes are similar, but juveniles have a buff breast and belly. Its call is a thin piping sound, similar to but less mewling than the common buzzard.