Brahminy Kites' Reappearance In Kathmandu

The Brahminy kite is one of the rarities in the bird world of Nepal. This bird was seen in Kathmandu Valley on 13 January 2013 at Toudaha in Kirtipur. Similarly, on 11 July 2016, wildlife photographer Pratap Gurung successfully captured this bird in the Bishnumati River in Kathmandu. After that, this bird did not appear in the valley for some years. In 2023 and 2024, in August, the Bishnumati River, specifically the Valley Cold Store near Balaju, once again welcomed the bird. The main reason for this bird coming to this place is that the cold store employees have been feeding the Black Kites (Milvus migrans) daily for a long time. It's possible that the Brahminy kite has been frequenting this location for the past two years, seeking food. Nowadays, bird watchers and wildlife photographers crowd to photograph this bird. Last year, I failed to capture it, but this year, I managed to do it on August 1 and 2, 2024. For hours, this bird would remain stationary, perched on the electric wire, while we captured its images. Only the black kite soaring around was visible. Local residents in the Bishnumati area, who are on foot, are now observing this red kite with interest and taking pictures with their cell phones. Also, wildlife photographers from outside the valley are visiting the Bishnumati River to take pictures of this bird. Particularly in the morning, this bird occasionally makes an appearance, but it is not always present. Some speculate that this bird resides in Balaju Park or Nargajun National Park.

The black kite, a quiet bird, is highly visible in the area. However, this bird is sitting alone on the electric wire, searching for food in the Bishnumati River. The Brahminy kite is considered one of the most beautiful kites in the species because its chest, bell, and head are white, while other parts are light yellow-red. This bird's scientific name is Haliastur indus, and in Nepali, it is called Setotauke Chil. This bird is also known in some countries as the red-backed kite, the chestnut-white kite, and the Rufous eagle. It is a medium-sized bird of prey from the Accipitridae family. This includes diurnal predators like buzzards and harriers.

In Nepal, the first record of bird research dates back to the 19th century. People occasionally spot this bird hunting in paddy fields, but it primarily inhabits coastal and inland wetlands, river banks, fish ponds, and canals.

In 1760, French zoologist and natural philosopher Mathurin Jacques Brisson described and illustrated the Brahminy kite in the first volume of his Oiseaux, which was based on specimens collected in Pondicherry, India. He used the French name L'aigle de Pondichery. The Brahminy kite is Jakarta's official mascot, and in Hinduism, it is a contemporary representation of Garuda, Lord Vishnu's sacred bird.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species rates the Brahminy Kite as Least Concern. However, these species are in decline in some areas, such as Java. This bird has four subspecies: Haliastur indus girrenera, Haliastur indus flavirostris, Haliastur indus intermdius, and Haliastur indus. This bird has been recorded from Nepal, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Pakistan.

Features

The Brahminy kite is distinctive and contrasting in colour, except for its white bell, chest, head, and breast, which are pale yellow-red on the rest of the body and have black wing tips. Yellow curved bill and black eyes. This bird's legs and paws are yellow, too. The combination of all these colours makes this kite look beautiful and distinct from other kites in the underbid. The pale patch in the caudal region has a square shape and is distinct from buteo buzzards. The Brahminy kite is similar in shape to the Black kites and has an addressable kite flight with wing angles. However, its tail is rounded. Unlike the tails of Milbus species, red kites and black kites are barbed. This bird is 18 to 21 inches long, with a wingspan of 3.6 to 4.1 feet. Its weight ranges from 320 to 670 grams. Females are slightly longer than males.

Habitat and breeding

Wetlands and flooded paddy fields serve as the habitat and ecology for the Brahminy kite. It is an opportunistic feeder, scavenging and preying on dead and live fish, crabs, frogs, lizards, small snakes, floating debris, orthopteran insects, winged termites, sick and migrating birds, and field mice. Water conditions influence the seasonal and spatial movements of this resident species. Brahminy kites have weak legs, but despite their long, sharp curved claws, they cannot take large prey. However, they are adept at catching prey in flight. It also steals from fishing birds and hunts prey in flight. It defeats and harasses other birds, such as gulls, whistling kites, osprey, and Australian white ibis.

Brahminy kites build nests on large platforms made of sticks. They line these platforms with sticks, bark, leaves, dried soil, or dung. They typically build nests on trees about 2 to 30 meters above ground. They prefer wooded slopes for nesting.

Males and females will often use the same nest year after year. Each year, they replenish the nest with fresh materials. The female lays 1 to 3 eggs, which are white with small brown spots. The incubation period is about 35 days. After emerging from the nest, they grow quickly and fly for the first time. Their first flight occurs approximately 50 to 56 days after they hatch. Chicks will stay in their parents' territory for about two months as they learn to hunt, avoid danger, and otherwise survive on their own.

According to senior ornithologist and conservationist Dr. Hem Sagar Baral, 'Historically, the Brahminy Kite was a prevalent resident in Nepal, as documented in historical accounts. However, the reasons for its dramatic decline from abundance to rarity are not fully understood. By the 1990s and in subsequent years, sightings of the Brahminy Kite had become infrequent, and the bird was only observed sporadically. Key threats to its population have been identified as agro-chemicals and pollution. Today, the Brahminy Kite is classified as critically endangered on Nepal's red list.'

Wetland loss and potential water pollution pose a serious threat to these species. These birds are also at risk due to the intensive use of pesticides in paddy fields. In the 1990s, there was a decline in Nepal's bird population, which is now extremely rare.

(The author is a wildlife photographer. Photos used in this article are by the author himself.)