The subfamily Milvinae has only two representatives in Europe. One is the Red Kite, Milvus milvus, which occurs in Europe, northwest Africa and Asia Minor. It has a long deeply forked tail, long, narrow, sharply angled wings with contrasting white patches on the underside and is colored red-brown above and rusty-red below with a greyish white head.

Its food consists of carrion, small mammals and birds and sometimes worms.

In Britain, the Red Kite has a small but growing population thanks to intensive protection. Virtually extinct in the early part of this century, the bird has made a comeback in mid-Wales, where there are now fifty to sixty pairs.

The Red Kite breeds in Sweden and the Baltic States south to Spain, the west Mediterranean Islands, Italy, the northern Balkan, and western Russia. It also extends eastward through Asia Minor to northern Iran, and southward to northwest Africa and to the Canary Isles. The Welsh population seem to be mainly sedentary, but those in northern and central Europe migrate southward, some reaching north Africa.

The Hawk Conservancy in Andover, Hants, United Kingdom, was kind enough to provide The Aviary with these images of the Red Kite. They have a great deal of valuable information available on a variety of hawks. Check out their web site by clicking on the link above.