Australian Field Ornithology 2014, 31, 164–165 Whistling Kite takes Welcome Swallow in flight Anne Jones 1109 Booyong Road, Clunes, NSW 2480, Australia Email: [email protected] Summary. This note describes the aerial pursuit and capture of a Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena by a Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus, thus confirming that Whistling Kites can capture small, agile passerines. However, in this case the Swallow was apparently a vulnerable fledgling. The Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus is known to include small parrots and passerines in its diet, although there is uncertainty over whether these are captured, or perhaps scavenged or robbed from other raptors (see Marchant & Higgins 1993; Aumann 2001; Barker 2005; Fuentes et al. 2005; Sutton 2011; Olsen et al. 2013). The Kite has been observed to capture a (possibly storm-cast) Fairy Prion Pachyptila tutur in flight after a prolonged, agile chase (Shingleton 2004), and to similarly pursue a Little Tern Sternula albifrons, persistently but unsuccessfully (Lake 2006). The number of Budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus remains in one inland Kite nest (Sutton 2011) suggests that the Kite(s) actively hunted them, and its congener, the Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus, is known to catch small passerines in the forest canopy (Bell 1985). This note describes perhaps an extreme example of avian predation by a large kite: the pursuit and aerial capture of a Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena by a Whistling Kite. On 1 October 2012, at the Menindee Lakes (Kinchega National Park near Menindee, south-western New South Wales), I was at the main weir where Lake Wetherall is released into the lower Darling River. Welcome Swallows were nesting on the weir superstructure and flying above the river, intent on catching insects for their young. A Whistling Kite appeared and soared above the apparently oblivious Swallows. After soaring ‘lazily’, observing the scene, the Kite suddenly swooped down among the flitting Swallows, targeting a particular bird. The Kite followed the Swallow’s twists and turns with apparent ease, then plucked it out of the air and fed on it, on the wing, in a masterful display of aerobatics that was over in a few minutes. This observation demonstrates that Whistling Kites can indeed catch small passerines, including agile aerial species such as swallows. However, a photograph of the incident (Figure 1), when zoomed on screen, appears to show a hint of yellow gape, which suggests that the Swallow was a fledgling and thus inexperienced, and its flight capacity not yet fully developed. The incident also suggests that the Kite selected a vulnerable individual. Thanks go to Keith D. Fisher for initiating this note for Australian Field Ornithology, and Stephen Debus for doing the literature search and preparing a draft from my description of the event. Whistling Kite takes Welcome Swallow in flight 165 Figure 1. Whistling Kite eating captured Welcome Swallow in flight, Kinchega National Park, NSW, October 2012. Photos: Anne Jones References Aumann, T. (2001). An intraspecific and interspecific comparison of raptor diets in the south-west of the Northern Territory, Australia. Wildlife Research 28, 379–393. Barker, E. (2005). Diet of Whistling Kite. Boobook 23, 18. Bell, H.L. (1985). Distribution and habits of kites, Milvus migrans, Haliastur sphenurus and H. indus in Papua New Guinea. Corella 9, 37–44. Fuentes, E., Olsen, J. & Rose, A.B. (2005). Breeding diet at two Whistling Kite nests near Canberra. Australian Field Ornithology 22, 122–125. Lake, B. (2006). Whistling Kite pursues Little Tern. Boobook 24, 44. Marchant, S. & Higgins, P.J. (Eds) (1993). Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds, Volume 2: Raptors to Lapwings. Oxford University Press, Melbourne. Olsen, J., Debus, S.J.S., Rose, A.B. & Judge, D. (2013). Diets of White-bellied Sea-Eagles Haliaeetus leucogaster and Whistling Kites Haliastur sphenurus breeding near Canberra, 2003–2008. Corella 37, 13–18. Shingleton, K. (2004). Whistling Kite captures Fairy Prion. Boobook 22, 28. Sutton, A.J.G. (2011). Observations on the raptor community of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Australian Field Ornithology 28, 129–132. Received 20 February 2014.