Class: Aves
Diet: Carnivore
Lifespan: Up to 30 years
Weight: Up to 670g
Wingspan: Up to 124cm
Reproduction: Egg-laying
Status: Least concern
Brahminy kites are coastal birds of prey, found primarily along mangrove swamps and estuaries. They can be found throughout tropical Asia and across Northern Australian coastlines, from Western Australia to northern New South Wales. While normally found along coastlines, they have also been known to fly inland along rivers.
Brahminy kites are easily distinguished by their striking colouration. Their head and chest are white, in contrast with the rest of their body and wings which are a reddish-chestnut brown.
Brahminy kites feed primarily on carrion, fish and insects. They catch their prey by flying low over the surface of the water and snatching up fish or carrion from the surface mid-flight. They are also known to steal food from other shore birds such as seagulls and osprey by pestering them until they drop their food.