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05 March 2022

Juvenile Black-winged Kite - Khafra Marsh

Whilst birding Khafra Marsh in February we came across a juvenile Black-winged Kite, with this being the first juvenile I have seen in the Eastern Province. An adult Black-winged Kite has been about throughout the year, so this juvenile and another juvenile, able to fly, found at Khafra Marsh a couple of years ago, in the presence of two adults suggests breeding may have occurred. The first record for the Eastern Province was only found on 17 April 2012, but since then has become more common with birds seen in almost every month and every year since the first record. Rather than being a vagrant to the Eastern Province its status has changed to a scarce visitor. All birds sub-specifically identified in the east of the Kingdom are the eastern subspecies Elanus caeruleus vociferous a subspecies that occurs from Pakistan east to southern & eastern China, Indochina and the Malay Peninsula.