Which Kite? Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan, Jan. 2024 (1 Viewer)

[Pedrambirder]

Hi all,
Is this a Juvenile Black-eared one or a Black Kite?

 

[tconzemi]

The real question is: is this lineatis or migrans or something in between? And it's someting in between, called Eastern Black Kite M.m.migransxlineatus. Bold colours but wings not broad enough, budy not big enough and vent not white enough for Far Eastern lineatus

 

[Pedrambirder]

The real question is: is this lineatis or migrans or something in between? And it's someting in between, called Eastern Black Kite M.m.migransxlineatus. Bold colours but wings not broad enough, budy not big enough and vent not white enough for Far Eastern lineatus

Thank you for explaining the keys and correct names.

 

[MJB]

Hi all,
Is this a Juvenile Black-eared one or a Black Kite?

It does seem to have some aspect of Black-eared Kite Milvus (migrans) lineatus, but current research (eg mapping by Andreyenkova et al 2021) indicates the existence over a large area from Iran to Central Asia of various hybrid forms whose ancestry, especially in Afghanistan, links to migrans x lineatus x govinda to varying degrees (heteroplasmy).

Certainty of species ID is hindered by a lack of observer/research data of the precise extent of the regions (and their borders) where 'pure' M. migrans, 'pure' M. lineatus and 'pure' Indian Black Kite M. govinda exist. The vast remaining area mostly holds varying hybrids between Black & Black-eared Kites: for example, in Kazakhstan some resemble ‘migrans types’, others resemble ‘lineatus types’. Documented records of pure Black Kite or pure Black-eared Kite (Dick Forsman in litt) seem to be lacking in Kazakhstan.

In Iran, the largely sedentary M.(m.) govinda occurs in Baluchestan Province, but may well be the main taxon in Central-East Iran Khaleghizadeh et al 2017; M.(m.) lineatus was considered to occur in winter as the likely main taxon in much of Iran, Khaleghizadeh et al 2017. Andreyenkova et al 2021 noted that there were no reliable M. govinda DNA sequences.

I'm presuming that your images are recent. Are they from fairly close to Tehran? Someone like Dick Forsman might be able to decide whether they are attributable to either taxon, but they might best be left as 'probable hybrid'...
MJB
Andreyenkova, NG, IV Karyakin, I J Starikov, H Sauer-Gürth, I Literák, OV Andreyenkov, EP Shnayder, RH Bekmansurov, MN Alexeyenko, M Wink and IF Zhimulev. 2021. Phylogeography and demographic history of the black kite Milvus migrans, a widespread raptor in Eurasia, Australia and Africa. J. Av. Biol. 2021: 1-19. doi: 10.1111/jav.02822
Khaleghizadeh, A, CS Roselaar, DA Scott, M Tohidifar, J Mlíkovský, M Blair and P Kvartalnov. 2017. Annotated Checklist of the Bird Species and Subspecies of Iran. Iran Bird Records Committee (IRBC).

 

[Pedrambirder]

It does seem to have some aspect of Black-eared Kite Milvus (migrans) lineatus, but current research (eg mapping by Andreyenkova et al 2021) indicates the existence over a large area from Iran to Central Asia of various hybrid forms whose ancestry, especially in Afghanistan, links to migrans x lineatus x govinda to varying degrees (heteroplasmy).

Certainty of species ID is hindered by a lack of observer/research data of the precise extent of the regions (and their borders) where 'pure' M. migrans, 'pure' M. lineatus and 'pure' Indian Black Kite M. govinda exist. The vast remaining area mostly holds varying hybrids between Black & Black-eared Kites: for example, in Kazakhstan some resemble ‘migrans types’, others resemble ‘lineatus types’. Documented records of pure Black Kite or pure Black-eared Kite (Dick Forsman in litt) seem to be lacking in Kazakhstan.

In Iran, the largely sedentary M.(m.) govinda occurs in Baluchestan Province, but may well be the main taxon in Central-East Iran Khaleghizadeh et al 2017; M.(m.) lineatus was considered to occur in winter as the likely main taxon in much of Iran, Khaleghizadeh et al 2017. Andreyenkova et al 2021 noted that there were no reliable M. govinda DNA sequences.

I'm presuming that your images are recent. Are they from fairly close to Tehran? Someone like Dick Forsman might be able to decide whether they are attributable to either taxon, but they might best be left as 'probable hybrid'...
MJB
Andreyenkova, NG, IV Karyakin, I J Starikov, H Sauer-Gürth, I Literák, OV Andreyenkov, EP Shnayder, RH Bekmansurov, MN Alexeyenko, M Wink and IF Zhimulev. 2021. Phylogeography and demographic history of the black kite Milvus migrans, a widespread raptor in Eurasia, Australia and Africa. J. Av. Biol. 2021: 1-19. doi: 10.1111/jav.02822
Khaleghizadeh, A, CS Roselaar, DA Scott, M Tohidifar, J Mlíkovský, M Blair and P Kvartalnov. 2017. Annotated Checklist of the Bird Species and Subspecies of Iran. Iran Bird Records Committee (IRBC).

Thank you for details and references.
I observed it in southern of Sistan & Baluchestan Province, January 2024.

 

[KenM]

Excellent images Pedram.👍

 

[Pedrambirder]

Excellent images Pedram.👍

Thank you 🙏🏼