Accipitridae·Ordre des Accipitriformes·Préoccupation mineure (LC) — Protégé en France·📅 Updated:
The Black Kite, effortless glider over the Var valleys
Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
Agrandir
An opportunistic and effortless glider, using its shallow-forked tail as a rudder to bank gracefully through thermal drafts.
My field observations in the Var — sites, months and context
✓ Aug 2026 Synthesis (2 records)Photographed circling lazily over the lower Gapeau valley and forested hillsides around Carqueiranne.
August 2026 Field Mapping Record:
📍Pins Maritimes Campsite (Hyères / Giens)(1 rec)📍Hyères (Lowlands & open sky)(1 rec)
Statut dans le Var : Nicheur estival et migrateur abondant de mars à fin août·Période privilégiée : Mai à Septembre
Commented in situ photo gallery
1 telephoto photographs taken in the Var department (Rule 11)
Agrandir
Photo 1 / 1 — Hyères / Vallée du Gapeau, VarEn vol plané circulaire au-dessus d'un bourg provençal et de collines boisées
Recognizing the species on my photos — visible details
Wingspan 135-155 cm, dark brown plumage, angled wings, and a shallow-forked tail that twists constantly to steer.
Habitat
Lake margins, river corridors, open farmland and coastal valleys.
Diet
Dead fish floating on water surfaces, small rodents, invertebrates and carrion.
Photographing the species: field experience
Readily approachable in circling flight, though dark plumage requires careful shadow recovery under bright skies.
Remarkable facts & hide notes:
- •Can snatch floating dead fish from water surfaces without landing, banking instantly away.
- •Decorates its bulky twig nest with bright white plastics and cloths to signal territory ownership.
- •Begins migrating back to sub-Saharan Africa early in August.
