# Milvus

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Genus of bird

This article is about the bird. For the range of Zeiss lenses, see [Zeiss Milvus](/source/Zeiss_Milvus). For the database, see [Milvus (vector database)](/source/Milvus_(vector_database)).

Milvus Black kite, (Milvus migrans) Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Accipitriformes Family: Accipitridae Subfamily: Buteoninae Genus: Milvus Lacépède, 1799 Type species Falco milvus Linnaeus, 1758 Species See text for discussion

***Milvus*** is a [genus](/source/Genus) of medium-sized [birds of prey](/source/Bird_of_prey). The genus was erected by the French naturalist [Bernard Germain de Lacépède](/source/Bernard_Germain_de_Lac%C3%A9p%C3%A8de) in 1799 with the [red kite](/source/Red_kite) as the [type species](/source/Type_species).[1][2] The name is the [Latin](/source/Latin) word for the red kite.[3]

The genus *Milvus* has in the past been placed in the [subfamily](/source/Subfamily) Milvinae but [molecular phylogenetic](/source/Molecular_phylogenetic) studies have shown that such a grouping is [polyphyletic](/source/Polyphyletic) for [Buteoninae](/source/Buteoninae). It is now placed in the subfamily Buteoninae.[4][5]

## Species

The genus contains three species.[6]

Genus Milvus – Linnaeus, 1758 – three species Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population Red kite Milvus milvus (Linnaeus, 1758) Two subspecies M. m. milvus (Linnaeus, 1758) – Europe and northwest Africa to the Middle East M. m. fasciicauda Hartert, 1914 – Cape Verde Islands Western Europe and northwest Africa Size: Habitat: Diet: LC Black kite Milvus migrans (Boddaert, 1783) Five subspecies M. m. migrans – (Boddaert, 1783) M. m. lineatus – (J. E. Gray, 1831) M. m. govinda – Sykes, 1832 M. m. affinis – Gould, 1838 M. m. formosanus – Kuroda, 1920 Eurasia and parts of Australasia and Oceania Size: Habitat: Diet: LC Yellow-billed kite Milvus aegyptius (Gmelin, JF,, 1788) Two subspecies M. a. aegyptius - (Gmelin, JF, 1788) M. a. parasitus - (Daudin, 1800) Sub-Saharan Africa including Madagascar, except for the Congo Basin with intra-African migrations (range marked in light green on map) Size: Habitat: Diet: LC

[Allozyme](/source/Allozyme) data indicates that the genetic diversity in both black and red kites is rather low.[7] Successful [hybridization](/source/Hybrid_(biology)) between *Milvus* kites is fairly commonplace, making [mtDNA](/source/MtDNA) analyses unreliable to resolve the genus' [phylogeny](/source/Phylogeny). Furthermore, there is no good [correlation](/source/Correlation) between molecular characters and [biogeography](/source/Biogeography) and [morphology](/source/Morphology_(biology)) in the [red kite](/source/Red_kite) due to very [incomplete lineage sorting](/source/Incomplete_lineage_sorting).

The yellow-billed kite is apparently a separate species, as indicated by mtDNA phylogeny showing two supported clades,[8] biogeography,[9] and morphology.[9] The black-eared kite is somewhat distinct morphologically, but is better considered a well-marked [parapatric](/source/Parapatric) subspecies. The status of the Cape Verde kite is in doubt; while not a completely [monophyletic](/source/Monophyletic) lineage according to mtDNA data,[8] it is still best regarded as a distinct species. Whatever its status, this population is extinct.

A prehistoric kite from the [Early Pleistocene](/source/Early_Pleistocene) (1.8 million–780,000 years ago) deposits at [Ubeidiya](/source/Ubeidiya_prehistoric_site) ([Israel](/source/Israel)) was described as *Milvus pygmaeus*.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Lacépède, Bernard Germain de](/source/Bernard_Germain_de_Lac%C3%A9p%C3%A8de) (1799). ["Tableau des sous-classes, divisions, sous-division, ordres et genres des oiseux"](https://books.google.com/books?id=6uhAAAAAcAAJ&pg=RA3-PA4). *Discours d'ouverture et de clôture du cours d'histoire naturelle* (in French). Paris: Plassan. p. 4. Page numbering starts at one for each of the three sections.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Mayr, Ernst](/source/Ernst_Mayr); Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1979). [*Check-List of Birds of the World*](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16108936). Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 296.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Jobling_3-0)** Jobling, James A. (2010). [*The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names*](https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling). London: Christopher Helm. p. [255](https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling/page/n255). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-4081-2501-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4081-2501-4).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Mindell, D.; Fuchs, J.; Johnson, J. (2018). "Phylogeny, taxonomy, and geographic diversity of diurnal raptors: Falconiformes, Accipitriformes, and Cathartiformes". In Sarasola, J.H.; Grange, J.M.; Negro, J.J. (eds.). [*Birds of Prey: Biology and conservation in the XXI century*](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326086278). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. pp. 3–32. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-319-73744-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-319-73744-7).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-catanach_5-0)** Catanach, T.A.; Halley, M.R.; Pirro, S. (2024). "Enigmas no longer: using ultraconserved elements to place several unusual hawk taxa and address the non-monophyly of the genus *Accipiter* (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae)". *Biological Journal of the Linnean Society* blae028. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1093/biolinnean/blae028](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fbiolinnean%2Fblae028).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ioc_6-0)** [Gill, Frank](/source/Frank_Gill_(ornithologist)); Donsker, David; [Rasmussen, Pamela](/source/Pamela_Rasmussen), eds. (August 2022). ["Hoatzin, New World vultures, Secretarybird, raptors"](https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/raptors/). *IOC World Bird List Version 12.2*. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 6 December 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Schreiber, Arnd; Stubbe, Michael & Stubbe, Annegret (2000): Red kite (*Milvus milvus*) and black kite (*M. migrans*): minute genetic interspecies distance of two raptors breeding in a mixed community (Falconiformes: Accipitridae). *[Biol. J. Linn. Soc.](/source/Biological_Journal_of_the_Linnean_Society)* **69'**(3): 351–365. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1006/bijl.1999.0365](https://doi.org/10.1006%2Fbijl.1999.0365) (HTML abstract)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Johnson_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Johnson_8-1) Johnson, Jeff A.; Rick T. Watson, and David P. Mindell (7 July 2005). Prioritizing species conservation: does the Cape Verde kite exist?. Proc Biol Sci. (The Royal Society) 272 (7): 1365–1371. [\[1\]](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1560339)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Scheider_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Scheider_9-1) Scheider, Jessica; Wink, Michael; Stubbe, Michael; Hille, Sabine; Wiltschko, Wolfgang (2004). ["Phylogeographic Relationships of the Black Kite *Milvus migrans*"](http://www.uni-heidelberg.de/institute/fak14/ipmb/phazb/pdf-files/2004/22.2004.pdf) (PDF). In Chancellor, R. D.; Meyburg, B.-U. (eds.). *Raptors Worldwide: Proceedings of the VI World Conference on Birds of Prey and Owls*. Budapest, Hungary: MME/BirdLife Hungary. pp. 467–472. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-963-86418-1-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-963-86418-1-6).

## Further reading

- Crochet, Pierre-André (2005): Recent DNA studies of kites. *[Birding World](/source/Birding_World)* **18**(12): 486–488. [HTML section list](http://www.eurobirding.com/birdingmagazines/artinfo.php?id=8556)

v t e Genera of hawks, vultures and their allies Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Clade: Telluraves Order: Accipitriformes Accipitriformes Cathartiformes incertae sedis †Parasarcoramphus †Teratornithidae Aiolornis Argentavis Cathartornis Oscaravis Taubatornis Teratornis Cathartidae †Aizenogyps †Brasilogyps †Breagyps Cathartes †Cathartidarum Coragyps †Diatropornis †Dryornis †Geronogyps Gymnogyps †Hadrogyps †Kuntur †Pampagyps †Phasmagyps †Perugyps †Pleistovultur †Pliogyps Sarcoramphus Vultur †Wingegyps Accipitriformes sensu stricto See below ↓ Accipitriformes sensu stricto †Horusornithidae Horusornis Pandionidae Pandion Sagittariidae †Amanuensis †Amphiserpentarius †Pelargopappus Sagittarius Accipitridae incertae sedis †Amplibuteo †Aquilavus †Apatosagittarius †Aviraptor †"Cruschedula"? †Dynatoaetus †Gigantohierax †Gobihierax †Milvoides †Mioaegypius †Miohierax †Necrastur †Palaeohierax †Palaeastur †Palaeocircus †Palaeoplancus †"Palaetus" †Pengana †Proictinia †Promilio †Qiluornis †Titanohierax †Vinchinavis Aegypiinae Aegypius †Cryptogyps †Gansugyps Gyps Necrosyrtes Sarcogyps Torgos Trigonoceps Accipitrinae Accipiter Aerospiza Astur Erythrotriorchis Megatriorchis Tachyspiza Aquilinae Aquila Clanga Hieraaetus Ictinaetus Lophaetus Lophotriorchis Nisaetus Polemaetus Spizaetus Stephanoaetus †Archaehieraxinae Archaehierax Buteoninae †Bermuteo †Garganoaetus Buteonini Busarellus Butastur Buteo Buteogallus Cryptoleucopteryx Geranoaetus Geranospiza Helicolestes Ictinia Leucopternis Morphnarchus Parabuteo Pseudastur Rostrhamus Rupornis Milvini Haliastur Milvus Circaetinae Circaetus Dryotriorchis Eutriorchis Pithecophaga Spilornis Terathopius Circinae Circus Elaninae Chelictinia Elanus Gampsonyx Gypaetinae †Anchigyps †Arikarornis Gypaetus Gypohierax †Mioneophron †Neogyps Neophron †Neophrontops †Palaeoborus Polyboroides Haliaeetinae Haliaeetus Icthyophaga Harpaginae Harpagus Kaupifalco Microspizias Harpiinae Harpia Harpyopsis Macheiramphus Morphnus Lophospizinae Lophospiza Melieraxinae Melierax Micronisus Urotriorchis Perninae Aviceda Chondrohierax Elanoides Eutriorchis Hamirostra Henicopernis Leptodon Lophoictinia Pernis

Taxon identifiers Milvus Wikidata: Q600204 Wikispecies: Milvus AFD: Milvus BOLD: 4444 CoL: 5SVR EPPO: 1MLVSG EURING: 2399 Fauna Europaea: 96687 Fauna Europaea (new): 52b72406-c9c1-4a95-9609-89044dce3efc GBIF: 5229166 iNaturalist: 5265 ITIS: 175468 NBN: NHMSYS0000530480 NCBI: 43517 NZOR: 9aeb09f7-adca-4dfd-a891-48fac320974d Paleobiology Database: 191573 WoRMS: 205396

Authority control databases National Israel Other Yale LUX

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