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Genus Elanus
Black-shouldered Kite - The Black-shouldered Kite was first described by ornithologist John Latham in 1802. Its specific name is derived from the Latin axilla "shoulder". The name "Black-shouldered Kite" was formerly used for a Eurasian and African species, Elanus caeruleus, and the Australian bird and the North American species, the White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus, were treated as subspecies of this. The three Elanus species have comparable plumage patterns and sizes, however, they are now regarded as distinct, and the name Black-winged Kite is used for E. caeruleus. Modern references to the Black-shouldered Kite should therefore unambiguously mean the Australian species, E. axillaris.
Black-winged Kite - The Black-winged Kite is a small diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae best known for its habit of hovering over open grasslands. This Eurasian species was sometimes combined with the Australian Black-shouldered Kite . This kite is distinctively long-winged predominantly and the white, grey and black plumage and the red iris make it easy to identify. Although mainly seen on the plains, they are sometimes seen on grassy slopes of hills in the higher elevation regions of Asia.
White-tailed Kite - The White-tailed Kite is an elanid kite found in western North America and parts of South America.
Letter-winged Kite - The Letter-winged Kite was originally described by ornithologist John Gould in 1842. Its specific name is Latin scriptum meaning "written" or "marked".