Black-shouldered Kite vs Letter-winged Kite

Elanus caeruleus compared with Elanus scriptus

Key Differences

• Black-shouldered Kite is Least Concern while Letter-winged Kite is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-shouldered Kite	Letter-winged Kite
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order same	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)
Family same	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)
Genus same	Elanus	Elanus
Species	Elanus caeruleus	Elanus scriptus

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-shouldered Kite and Letter-winged Kite share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Elanus.

Conservation Status

Black-shouldered Kite

LC — Least Concern

Letter-winged Kite

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-shouldered Kite	Letter-winged Kite
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-shouldered Kite

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Colombia, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Letter-winged Kite

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Found in Norway. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Black-shouldered Kite

The Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus) is a species in the genus Elanus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway