

As far as English names of birds go, a bird may be called by a certain name in Britain but by a different one in the United States, and in Japan it occasionally happens that a bird's English name is changed (“Tancho” was changed from Japanese Crane to Red-crowned Crane).Ī notable characteristic of the Black Kite is the color of its upper plumage it is a darker brown compared to other hawks. “Tobi” is used in textbooks and in bird guides because in Japan the species name used by the Ornithological Society of Japan is the standard in such scientific materials. In Japan people call the Black Kite “Tobi” or “Tombi,” and neither is wrong. This is in part related to its quite a few population and flocking nature however, Black Kites mostly scavenge dying or dead prey, which is the reason why the bird is seen as being lower in rank than other hawks in Japan.Įach living creature has a name other than its scientific name, which is common all over the world. It has some easily noticeable features, such as its larger size (other hawks and falcons are ordinarily the same size as or smaller than crows), its slower flight speed, and its frequent circling. Among hawks, the Black Kite is the most common and the easiest to recognize. Hawks can be identified by how they often glide in the sky and have a different way of flapping their wings than crows, which flap widely and slowly.

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To find them you would do well to take note of crows. The most familiar hawk Why is the Black Kite looked down on even though it is a hawk?īesides their small population, hawks are very cautious and often fly high in the sky.
