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6

Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) Alternate name(s): "Red-backed Sea Eagle", "White-headed Sea Eagle", "Rufous-backed Sea Eagle", "Salmon-hawk", "Rufous-backed Fish-hawk", "Red-backed Kite" Aboriginal name(s): Race "girrenera": "ngamandjin" [eastern bundjalung] Size: 45 cm (male), 50 cm (female); wing span 1.1-1.3 m Weight: 490-610 g (male), 580-675 g (female)

Australia: Family Group 6 Family Group 6 Table Osprey Brahminy Kite Whistling Kite Little Eagle Black Kite Square-tailed Kite Black-breasted Buzzard Wedge-tailed Eagle White-bellied Sea-Eagle Spotted Harrier Swamp Harrier Black-shouldered Kite Letter-winged Kite Pacific Baza Collared Sparrowhawk Brown Goshawk Grey Goshawk Red Goshawk Nankeen Kestrel Australian Hobby Peregrine Falcon Brown Falcon Grey Falcon Black Falcon Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Brahminy Kites are medium-sized birds of prey with a white front and a brown back. Head, neck and breast are white, whilte belly, wings and tail are brown. The eyes are black, the bill yellow and the feet pink with black talons. The underwing pattern shows dark- to mid-brown underwing coverts and light-brown flight feathers, of which the primaries have black tips. These black tips are also visible on the otherwise entirely brown upperwings. The yellowish-grey bill has a conspicuously long upper mandible. Juvenile Brahminy Kites are all mottled brown, with a back that is darker brown than the front. Their bill is grey.

Taxonomy, classification See Brahminy Kite at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Brahminy Kite is available HERE . Brahminy Kites have a wide-ranging distribution, from the border of India with Pakistan in the West via the entire subcontinent (including inland areas), Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, via most of South-East Asia (including inland areas of Cambodia and Thailand), to basically all tropical South-east Asian/Pacific islands and on to Australia. In Australia, only race "girrenera" is found. They inhabit the coastlines around the northern half of the Australian continent, from about Carnarvon, WA, around the Top End of the NT, via QLD down to the NSW Central Coast. This includes offshore islands and the Torres Strait. Currently (since 2011) they appear to be extending their range southward along the NSW coast. According to field guides Brahminy Kites hunt mostly in coastal mudflats and estuarine mangrove swamps, but we have also seen them on coastal rockfaces of small headlands, hunting in rock pools. They are also found on offshore islands. Where to look? How to find this species? Brahminy Kites sometimes sit perched prominently on rocks on headlands or on rockfaces. Their characteristic colour pattern of light-brown body with white head makes them easy to identify even over long distances.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "girrenera" Brahminy Kites, race "girrenera", were first seen by us in July 2009, along the rocky outcrops in various areas of the QLD coastline. They were always seen hunting in rock pools from low perches. Several contributors report finding Brahminy Kites, race "girrenera", regularly in various locations all along the coastline of QLD. Brahminy Kites, race "girrenera", were also seen by us farther south, e.g. at Urunga board walk, Urunga Heads, NSW, in January 2011. In June 2011 they were also found along the NSW coast, first near Old Bar, NSW, then as far South as Wybung Head in Munmorah SCA. Brahminy Kites, race "girrenera", have been found by us, and reported to us by various contributors from, the coastline in and around Darwin, NT. J. Greaves reports spotting Brahminy Kites, race "girrenera", at Alyangula, Groote Eylandt, NT, in September 2014, and at Maxwell Creek, Melville Island, NT, in November 2016. D. Wilczynska reports spotting a Brahminy Kite, race "girrenera", near Cairns, QLD, in March 2015. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours found a pair of Brahminy Kites, race "girrenera", nesting at the Pioneer Cemetery, Cairns, QLD, in July-August 2020.

Photos

Race "girrenera"

ADULT

PAIR

Lateral view of a pair of Brahminy Kites (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Daintree River, QLD, December 2018]

Pair of Brahminy Kites seen on stakes, waiting for the photographer to clear out
[Near Old Bar, NSW, June 2011]

Sex unknown

Close-up frontal view of a Brahminy Kite (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Daintree River, QLD, December 2018]

Close-up frontal view of a Brahminy Kite (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Daintree River, QLD, December 2018]

Frontal view of a Brahminy Kite (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Fraser Island, QLD, September 2018]

Frontal view of a Brahminy Kite (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Pioneer Cemetery, Cairns, QLD, July 2020]

Close-up near-frontal view of a Brahminy Kite (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Daintree River, QLD, December 2018]

Near-frontal view of a Brahminy Kite (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Fraser Island, QLD, September 2018]

Near-frontal view of a Brahminy Kite (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Caloundra, QLD, August 2017]

Near-lateral view of a Brahminy Kite (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Daintree River, QLD, July 2018]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a Brahminy Kite (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, April 2018]

Lateral view of a Brahminy Kite with its outer eye-lid open, left, and the eye-lid closed, right (photos courtesy of P. Brown)
[Near Dripstone Cliffs, Darwin, NT, December 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a Brahminy Kite (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Buffalo Creek, Darwin, NT, July 2020]

Close-up lateral portrait of a Brahminy Kite seen from behind (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Daintree River, QLD, April 2019]

Dorsal view of a Brahminy Kite looking back at the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Marmor, QLD, August 2023]

Dorsal view of a Brahminy Kite looking over its shoulder (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Daintree River, QLD, July 2018]

Frontal view of a Brahminy Kite in flight
[Limeburners Creek NP, NSW, October 2013]

Brahminy Kite soaring in an updraft
[Limeburners Creek NP, NSW, October 2013]

This Brahminy Kite is controlling the lift of its wings by partly folding them
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a Brahminy Kite in flight (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a Brahminy Kite in flight
[Limeburners Creek NP, NSW, October 2013]

Lateral view from above onto the upperwing pattern of a Brahminy Kite in flight
[Limeburners Creek NP, NSW, October 2013]

Different phase of the wing beat
[Limeburners Creek NP, NSW, October 2013]

Lateral view of a Brahminy Kite in flight (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Kakadu NP, NT, July 2020]

Brahminy Kite just after takeoff; note the particularly long upper mandible of this raptor
[Bundjalung NP, NSW, February 2012]

Lateral/ventral view of a Brahminy Kite in flight
[Limeburners Creek NP, NSW, October 2013]

Near-dorsal view of a Brahminy Kite in flight
[Limeburners Creek NP, NSW, October 2013]

Dorsal view from above onto the upperwing pattern of a Brahminy Kite in flight
[Limeburners Creek NP, NSW, October 2013]

On an overcast day the underwings of a Brahminy Kite can appear to be darker (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, January 2018]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal/ventral view of a young Brahminy Kite; part of its plumage is still juvenile [note the dark ear coverts], while the chestnut belly/vent/undertail are indicative of first immature plumage (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, July 2012]

Dorsal/ventral view of a juvenile Brahminy Kite in flight (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Jingili Water Gardens, Darwin, NT, March 2020]

Dorsal/ventral view of a juvenile Brahminy Kite in flight (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Jingili Water Gardens, Darwin, NT, March 2020]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Apr - Nov

Eggs: 1 - 2

Incubation period: 26 - 27 days

Fledging age: 50 - 60 days

We list here the breeding season of Brahminy Kites in Australia. It depends significantly on geographical latitude. In the tropical North, Brahminy Kites breed after the wet season, in April - July. Farther southward, they breed in spring, in August - November.

Nest building: Female & male

Incubation: Female (& male)

Dependent care: Female & male

Twitcher's tip

Note that, by the time they fledge (i.e., leave their nest), the young of all species of raptors - apart from the tail and wing feathers (which are still growing) - are already full adult-size.

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Basket

Material: Sticks, grass, seaweed

Height above ground: <10? m

Specializing in hunting near water, Brahminy Kites usually also nest in tall trees near or in water, preferably on the seaward side of mangroves.

(Presumably female) Brahminy Kite on its nest (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Pioneer Cemetery, Cairns, QLD, August 2020]

Lateral view of a Brahminy Kite near its nest (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Pioneer Cemetery, Cairns, QLD, August 2020]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 52 x 41 mm

Colour: Off-white, with faint creamy speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

Similar to some other species of raptors, Brahminy Kites can sometimes be seen to hunt in pairs
[Limeburners Creek NP, NSW, October 2013]

Food, Diet

Adults: Dead fish, carrion

Dependents: As adults

Water intake: None

All raptors are carnivores. Brahminy Kites feed on small fish and occasionally other small animals. They also scavenge on carrion.

During the first few weeks, raptors feed their chicks with pieces of meat. Later on in their development, the chicks learn to tear apart their parents' prey.

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.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.

Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Fri, 8 September 2023, 6:03 +00:00