#0713 · 🐦 birds
Red Kite
🇳🇱 Rode wouw ·Milvus milvus
10 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences
- 1. © Dr. Sven Gippner · CC BY 4.0
- 2. © Paul Cools · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 3. © photokeen · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
- 4. © Paul Cools · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 5. © Frank Sengpiel · CC BY 4.0
- 6. © Paul Cools · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 7. © Manuel Raab · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 8. © Rails and roadtrips · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 9. © chorthippus · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 10. © Noel Reynolds · CC BY 4.0
what is it?
The red kite ( Milvus milvus ) is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species is currently endemic to the Western Palearctic region in Europe and northwest Africa, though formerly also occurred just outside in northern Iran. It is resident in the milder parts of its range in western Europe and northwest Africa, but birds from northeastern and central Europe winter...
base stats
Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).
fun facts
- Spotted 135 times in the Netherlands on iNaturalist.
- 56,209 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
- Weighs up to about 1.2 kg.
- Scientifically named in 1758 (268 years ago).
fact sheet
- English
- Red Kite
- Nederlands
- Rode wouw
- scientific name
- Milvus milvus
- class
- Aves
- order
- Accipitriformes
- family
- Accipitridae
- IUCN Red List
- LC · least concern
- sightings in NL
- 135
- sightings in Europe
- 50,133
- sightings worldwide
- 56,209
- GBIF records in NL
- 38,360
- weight
- 1.2 kg
- length
- —
- lifespan
- —
- named
- 1758
IUCN in Dutch: niet bedreigd. Blank means the sources don't say.
relatives· Accipitridae
#0542 📷 8Common Buzzard
🇳🇱 Buizerd
Buteo buteo
LC 👀 4.1k in NL
#0584 📷 9Western Marsh Harrier
🇳🇱 Bruine Kiekendief
Circus aeruginosus
LC 👀 1.2k in NL
#0609 📷 10Eurasian Sparrowhawk
🇳🇱 Sperwer
Accipiter nisus
LC 👀 694 in NL
#0622 📷 8White-tailed Eagle
🇳🇱 Zeearend
Haliaeetus albicilla
LC 👀 494 in NL
#0654 📷 10Hen Harrier
🇳🇱 Blauwe Kiekendief
Circus cyaneus
LC 👀 271 in NL
#0655 📷 9European Honey-buzzard
🇳🇱 Wespendief
Pernis apivorus
LC 👀 268 in NL
#0656 📷 10Eurasian Goshawk
🇳🇱 Havik
Astur gentilis
LC 👀 261 in NL
#0765 📷 9Black Kite
🇳🇱 Zwarte wouw
Milvus migrans
LC 👀 40 in NL
Sources: iNaturalist taxon 5267, Wikidata Q156250, GBIF 5229168, Wikipedia (EN), Wikipedia (NL). Intro text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.