Dutch Birding volume 24 (2002) no 2

Black-winged Kites on Texel in March 1998 and in Bargerveen in June-August 2000

On 29-31 March 1998, a Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus stayed at the northern tip of Texel, Noord-Holland, the Netherlands. From 4 June to 23 August 2000, a Black-winged Kite stayed at Bargerveen, Drenthe, the Netherlands. These records constitute the second and third for the Netherlands. The first was photographed on 31 May 1971 at Flevoland. Remarkably, also on 29 March 1998, a Black-winged Kite was discovered at Skagen, Nordjylland, Denmark, constituting the first for Denmark and the northernmost for Europe.

Both Dutch birds were identified as adult, and as belonging to the nominate subspecies, based on their grey forehead and whitish underparts and underwing primaries. Other Elanus species could be excluded on basis of the underwing and head markings.

Marco Witte, Rijperwaard 141, 1824 JR Alkmaar, Nederland
mc.wittewxs.nl
Enno B Ebels, Joseph Haydnlaan 4, 3533 AE Utrecht, Nederland
ebelswxs.nl