The Elk

The White Kite is a small bird of prey with light flight, characteristic of the vast Iberian plateaus, covered with cork oaks and populated by Blue Magpies.

After a major phase of expansion in Spain, the Elanion crossed the Pyrenees in the early 1980s. Since the first instance of successful breeding in 1990, it has established itself in the plains of the Adour and the Garonne.

Little by little, the species progressed towards the northern and north-eastern departments of New Aquitaine. Thanks to a great capacity for movement, many individuals prospect the French territory in search of new spaces to colonize. Isolated kites can now be observed throughout the territory, from Finistère to the Belgian, German or Swiss borders.

At the beginning of the 2000s I began to observe this small raptor very occasionally in the municipalities of Saverdun, Calmont, Cintegabelle and Auterive. It was a big surprise for me because I was more used to photographing this bird in the African savannah (Kenya, Tanzania and even Namibia!). Today I sometimes observe several individuals in the same day and almost all year round, proof that some individuals have probably taken up residence in the area.

Small big-headed raptor. Although it is smaller in size, it is often confused with the Montagu’s Harrier and Saint-Martin, to which it is somewhat similar because of its white, gray and black colorations. However, the silhouette is stockier and the tail more rounded. The head is white, with a small black mask around the eye. The eyes are dark red. Short, bare legs and toes are yellow. Due to its small size, the kite only stalks prey of modest size: small rodents, terrestrial passerines, small lizards, large insects.