Profile
In flight
Birds of Prey
Brahminy Kite
Haliastur indus
- uncommon
- 48 km/h
- Least Concern
A river-mouth raptor in priest's white and saffron-red, sacred along the Ganges and the temple-bell coasts of Sri Lanka. Wheels above fishing boats waiting for whatever spills overboard.
- Population
- very large and widespread; locally declining in parts of South Asia but globally secure
- Habitat
- coastal mangroves, river deltas, estuaries, large inland lakes, harbors, and fishing villages across South Asia, Southeast Asia, and northern Australia
- Diet
- fish (often dead or surface-stranded), crabs, frogs, small reptiles, carrion, occasional small birds and offal at fishing harbors
- Size
- 0.5 m
- Wingspan
- 1.2 m
