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The black-eared kite

Writer: Isaac Cohen  |  Editor: Liu Minxia  |  From: Shenzhen Daily

A black-eared kite is seen hovering in the sky in Honghu Park in Luohu District on Oct. 30, 2021. 

Probably one of the most majestic birds you can see circling the skies of Shenzhen is the black-eared kite, a medium-sized bird of prey. With a black patch on their eyes and a short forked tail, it has a beautiful brown plumage, with part of the feathers adorned with black tips or mottled patterns.

在深圳,抬头看看天,你可能就会发现黑耳鸢雄伟的身影。这种体型中等的猛禽戴着黑色的“眼罩”,有着分叉的尾部和美丽的棕色羽毛,初级飞羽顶部沾黑色,具斑驳纹路。

A black-eared kite is seen catching a fish while in flight in Donghu Park in Luohu District on March 28, 2021.

Their wingspan reaches an impressive 1.5 meters and the bird normally measures about 55 cm. They use their yellow legs and dark claws to grab the prey with extraordinary accuracy while in flight.

黑耳鸢翼展可达1.5米,平均身长55厘米。它们黄色的脚趾尖生有黑色的利爪,可以在飞行中准确地攫取猎物。

Most of the time, you will see them soaring high in the sky. When it’s time to hunt, however, they will come lower and start gliding until they spot something. Watch carefully or you’ll miss it! They make a sudden free fall with retracted claws in order to catch their meal, often fish or some other small live animals like reptiles, birds or mammals.

很多时候,我们都只能远远看着黑耳鸢在高空盘旋翱翔。但只要捕猎的时机成熟,它们就会逐渐降低飞行高度,朝着猎物的方向开始滑翔,并以迅雷不及掩耳之势骤然俯冲直下,用利爪将猎物劫走。黑耳鸢一般捕食鱼类及体型较小的爬行动物、鸟类及哺乳动物。

A black-eared kite is seen hovering in the sky in Honghu Park in Luohu District on Oct. 24, 2021.

Breeding season around Shenzhen is during the winter months, when both parents will take part in building nests, incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks. Normally there are only two or three per clutch, aggressively protected by the parents if another animal attempts to approach the nest.

黑耳鸢在冬季繁殖,每窝仅有两到三只雏鸟,由亲鸟共同筑巢、孵化及育雏。繁殖期的黑耳鸢攻击性很强,会驱赶靠近鸟巢的一切生物。

If you are interested in observing this fabulous species, visit the lakes at Honghu Park or Donghu Park in Luohu District. They usually come down to fish and circle above in the sky, within reach of people’s naked eyes.

如果你想近距离地观察黑耳鸢,不妨来东湖与洪湖公园的大湖边蹲守。在这里它们经常低飞,盘旋于湖面试图捕鱼,不再像往常一样遥不可及。