Black-shouldered Kite vs White-Tailed Kite

Elanus caeruleus compared with Elanus leucurus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-shouldered Kite	White-Tailed 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 leucurus

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Black-shouldered Kite

LC — Least Concern

White-Tailed Kite

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-shouldered Kite	White-Tailed 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.

White-Tailed Kite

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

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.

White-Tailed Kite

White-Tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇳🇴 Norway