Black kites: want to find out more. (1 Viewer)

We've had black kites around in west Cornwall for a few weeks now and I'm trying to find out more about them. Where do they normally live? Are these off-course migrants? And how unusual is it to see more than one (apparently there are three about at the moment)?

I understand that there have been black kites (or one at least) on Scilly. Presumably they are quite happy crossing open water? We had a sudden influx of red kites earlier in the summer, and I think I recall reading that they are less keen to cross open water, which was why they conregated here (near Land's End) and then went back up country.

Any insights into black kites, or good places to find out more, gratefully received. TIA.

http://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black_Kite
Info here. Black Kites live across Europe asia and africa, and are found in this country as vagrants, prehaps just wandering from the continent at this time of year.

There has been at least one Black Kite in Cornwall all summer. It is an overshoot migrant that thanks to periods of southerly winds in spring ends up in the UK. Birds occasionally linger, especially non-breeders but one has bred in a mixed pair with a Red Kite, in Scotland. The fact that there are three now in the very west of Cornwall may mean that all three have been present all summer or that two are new in.

Thanks Maniac. I'm still finding my way round birdforum and the Opus section is tremendous: so much more informative than other sites I've visited and easy to understand for beginners.

I'm wondering whether there has been more than one here for a while. I'm fairly sure that there have been sightings on The Lizard and here at Porthgwarra/Polgigga near Land's End on the same day: 20 miles "as the kite flies" over Mount's Bay so I guess it could be the same one but equally probably not.

I guess things change over time: what would it take for black kites to get established in the UK?

We've had one or two Black Kites overwintering at the Lleida city dump for the last couple of years. A sign of change?

Steve