Last time when I was in Hong Kong, I saw quite a few of these flying outside my parents' building. Usually it's only one or two but one particular day, there were about five or six of them. I tried taking pictures but none of the pictures were OK due to my lack of skill and my point-and-shoot camera.
May I ask a couple of questions about the kites? What do they eat? I seem them flying around all day over the harbour, with a very rare swoop, but never actually eating anything. Also, why all the soaring around? It appear pretty pointless, but I'm sure I must be missing something.
Also, where do they roost? I see them flying back to the island before dark, but as I live by the water, I don't know where they go after they fly over.
Sam, kites are scavengers. They eat anything. They are lazy and like picking up rubbish. Samuel Pepys once wrote that he was going to London Bridge (I think) to watch the kites. He meant Red kites, Milvus milvus, a bird almost extirpated in Britain but now resurgent. In the olden days they were useful as they picked up a lot of the garbage. I think they are cruising around looking for easy pickings, sometimes maybe just for fun on a glorious sunny day. Where do they roost? Well I seem to recall they roost on Magazine Gap and I think on Stonecutters Island. I hope this helps. This is an article from 1930 on them: http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/hkjo/view/27/2700030.pdf
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Last time when I was in Hong Kong, I saw quite a few of these flying outside my parents' building. Usually it's only one or two but one particular day, there were about five or six of them. I tried taking pictures but none of the pictures were OK due to my lack of skill and my point-and-shoot camera.
Next time I want a close-up of their ears, just to see how black they really are.
Great site!
May I ask a couple of questions about the kites? What do they eat? I seem them flying around all day over the harbour, with a very rare swoop, but never actually eating anything. Also, why all the soaring around? It appear pretty pointless, but I'm sure I must be missing something.
Also, where do they roost? I see them flying back to the island before dark, but as I live by the water, I don't know where they go after they fly over.
I'd love to know the answers if possible! Thanks!
Sam, kites are scavengers. They eat anything. They are lazy and like picking up rubbish. Samuel Pepys once wrote that he was going to London Bridge (I think) to watch the kites. He meant Red kites, Milvus milvus, a bird almost extirpated in Britain but now resurgent. In the olden days they were useful as they picked up a lot of the garbage. I think they are cruising around looking for easy pickings, sometimes maybe just for fun on a glorious sunny day. Where do they roost? Well I seem to recall they roost on Magazine Gap and I think on Stonecutters Island. I hope this helps. This is an article from 1930 on them: http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/hkjo/view/27/2700030.pdf
Thanks Andrew!
It's fun to track them with my Canon IS10x42 bins!
I live 50 yards from the harbour, so get pretty close.
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