jwyoerger 16/11/2015 22:06
Black-winged vs. Black-shouldered kite?
Is the black-winged kite (E. caeruleus) different from a black-shouldered kite (E. axillaris)? Both names are listed on ebird checklists, but the Birds of Hong Kong and South China book only lists the black-winged kite. I could definitely benefit from an explanation. I'm 98% positive I saw one in Mai Po on Sunday.
John Holmes 17/11/2015 16:32
[i]E. caeruleus [/i]and [i]E. axillaris[/i] have been split, as you might have guessed.
HK gets [i]E. caeruleus[/i] as seen from "Birds of HK and South China", now properly named "Black-winged Kite" but it is named "Black-shouldered Kite" in older editions of the book, i.e. those published before the split.
The bird NOW known as "Black-shouldered Kite" is an Australian endemic.