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6

Black Kite - Aboriginal information

(Milvus migrans)
Alternative names: "Fork-tailed Kite", "Allied Kite", "Kite-Hawk", "Pariah Kite"
Size: male 50 cm, female 55 cm; wing span 1.2-1.5 m

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Spiritual significance

The Black Kite, under the name of "Fork-tailed Kite", features in Aboriginal creation stories. A few examples are reproduced or listed here.

R. A. Roberts and C. P. Mountford tell the story of "The Transformation of Parabruma" (1968 ed.), p. 72. This story tells how the Black Kite and the Masked Lapwing, with the skin flaps by the sides of its head, were created.

Disclaimer: Not being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin, we make no claim of intellectual ownership of any of the information presented here. We merely collect facts and stories documented by others. Credits/references are listed HERE.

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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