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black-shouldered kite


black-shouldered kite
Photo Information
Copyright: Andrea Piazza (elefantino) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1128 W: 116 N: 2182] (14381)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-08-25
Categories: Birds
Camera: Nikon F100, Nikkor 300mm AF-S f/4, Fuji Velvia 50
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-06-03 3:46
Viewed: 1816
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 29
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Black-shouldered Kite

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Elanus
Species: E. axillaris


(Elanus axillaris) is a small raptor found in open habitat throughout Australia. Like all the elanid kites, it is a specialist predator of rodents.

The name "Black-shouldered Kite" was formerly used for a European and African species.
Black-Shouldered Kites are around 35 to 38 cm in length and have a wingspan of between 80 and 95 cm. Adults are a very pale grey with a white head and white underparts. The leading edge of the inner wing is black. When perched, this gives them their prominent black "shoulders".
Although reported from almost all parts of Australia, they are most common in the relatively fertile south-east and south-west corners of the mainland, and in south-east Queensland. They are rare in the deep desert and appear to be only accidental visitors to northern Tasmania and the Torres Strait islands. Although found in timbered country, they are mainly birds of the grasslands. European occupation of Australia has, on the whole, benefited them by clearing vast expanses of forest for agriculture and providing suitable conditions for much larger numbers of mice.
Black-shouldered Kites live almost exclusively on mice. They take other suitably-sized creatures when available, including grasshoppers, rats, small reptiles, birds, and even (very rarely) rabbits, but mice and other mouse-sized mammals account for over 90% of their diet. Their influence on mouse populations is probably significant: adults take two or three mice a day each if they can, and on one occasion a male was observed bringing no less than 14 mice to a nest of well-advanced fledglings within an hour.
When a mouse or other prey is spotted, the kite drops silently onto it, feet-first with wings raised high; sometimes in one long drop to ground level, more often in two or more stages, with hovering pauses at intermediate heights. About two-thirds of attacks are successful. Prey can either be eaten in flight or carried back to a perch.
jeanpaul, dew77, pac, timonejoon, hekcik, cecilia, firelord, Dando, aido, eruyanik, pablominto, horia, soccer, Alex_Strugariu has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To pac: yeselefantino 2 06-03 06:14
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4774 W: 294 N: 4020] (13209)
  • [2006-06-03 3:54]

Hello Andrea,
Very nice capture.I liked moment you caught,BG and composition a lot.TFS...:-)

Hello Andrea
It's really good moment,I like the bird position too.

  •      
  • pac Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 67 W: 13 N: 155] (1775)
  • [2006-06-03 4:14]
  • [+]

Very nice shot, impressing background!

Did you use noise removal software - the picture has a somewhat silky look to it?!

/Dan

Hi Andrea
Superbe prise de vue!! belle lumiére ainsi que lacomposition!! La pose de cette oiseau en vol est de toute beauté. Mes félicitations.
Merci et au revoir....JP

Hi Andrea

I like th BG, it is very nice color and composition.great.
well done

TFS
timon

Hello Andrea,

Very nice capture.
Good composition and sharp.
Well done!

TFS :-)
Norbert

  • Great 
  • Dando Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor [C: 637 W: 32 N: 792] (3084)
  • [2006-06-03 14:05]

Hi Andrea, nice inflight shot. i especially like the lighting and the blurred wings give it a sense of movement. well captured and TFS.
dean.

bel momento e bella la luce di sfondo.

ciao Mario

A very strong powerful looking bird, I love how his gaze is so intent on whatever dinner he's after. The sky is a wonderful color, his wings blurred in flight. Wonderful action shot, TFS.

  • Great 
  • aido Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 1044 W: 156 N: 1218] (4046)
  • [2006-06-03 16:38]

Hi Andrea,
A nice shot, a little soft on detail but a difficult shot to capture I think. Beautiful light, nicely framed and excellent colours. Good job on the scan too.
Regards,
Adrian

Such a beautiful predator! Very interesting pose with clenched claws! Colours on the sky are great too!
Thank you!
Ersin

Hi Andrea,
Very well captured!
Interesting lighting, in something that may look like sunset...
Lovely motion blur in the wing tips, well composed image!
Greetings,
Pablo -

beatifull capture!!

  • Great 
  • osse Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 962 W: 0 N: 89] (7801)
  • [2006-06-04 18:57]

Hi Andrea
Good flight shot. Good composition and colours. Also good note and BG.
Well done Andrea

osse

hi andrea
bravo pour cette catpure, saisir le bon moment avant que l'oiseau ne fonde sur sa proie.
felicitations.
laurent

Andrea,

Great in-flight action shot! The clear BG (sky) assists in the subject standing out. The Composition, POV, Deatil and the Lighting from the side that displays no shadow make this a wonderful pic. TFS,
Sheriff

Very beautiful shot!
The pose of the animal reminds me of the common kestrel.
Very nice POV and collors.
You couldn`t have taken this photo at a better time.
TFS
All the best,
Alex

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