Brahminy Kite
Haliastur indus
Also known as: Lal Chil, Red-Backed Sea-Eagle
About This Species
Look for a chestnut-and-white raptor soaring on flattened wings over coastal waters, mangroves, rivers and harbours across South and Southeast Asia and Australia, where it scavenges and hunts fish and crustaceans near the surface. It is active by day and often seen circling in thermals or perched prominently near water. Coastal towns and harbours with fishing activity are reliable places to look.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Keep a clear distance from nest trees, particularly during the breeding season, since raptors are prone to abandoning nests if repeatedly disturbed.
- Legal protections for birds of prey vary considerably across the countries in its range, spanning South Asia, Southeast Asia and Australia, so check local wildlife law rather than assuming one standard applies everywhere.
LCAvesAccipitriformesAccipitridae
Seasonal Activity
691,934 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Accipitridae
Photo
(c) Dougal Townsend, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Dougal Townsend
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.