After the long-anticipated arrival of Britain’s first Black-winged Kite in Powys in mid-April, birders nationwide remained on high alert. For 90 days, the trail ran cold, optimism gradually fading as weeks passed without further reports. Then, just as expectations were beginning to wane, the story reignited.
On the evening of the 17th, news emerged of a Black-winged Kite lingering at Stubb Mill, Norfolk. By dawn the following morning, birders from across the country were converging on the site. Working in Birmingham at the time, I made an early start and joined the growing crowd, all hoping for a glimpse of one of Europe’s most elegant raptors.
Fortune favoured the early arrivals. The kite was soon located, perched quietly in a bush, preening and offering prolonged, close views. Its striking plumage—pearl-grey upperparts, clean white underparts and bold black wing patches—made for a mesmerising sight. Before long, however, the bird lifted effortlessly into the air, gaining height before drifting away to the north-west.
The Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus is a small raptor with a wide but historically fragmented distribution, occurring across sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. In Europe, however, its story is one of recent and remarkable expansion.
Formerly scarce north of the Mediterranean, the species has increased dramatically in Spain and Portugal since the late 20th century, where it is now a widespread and locally common breeder. This expansion has continued into southern and western France, with breeding populations now well established and steadily advancing northwards. Birds now nest as close as the Calais region, placing the species within easy reach of Britain.
Against this backdrop, the Black-winged Kite’s long-awaited arrival in Britain felt increasingly inevitable. The first confirmed British record in Powys in April marked a landmark moment, fulfilling decades of anticipation among British birders. That record was followed, just months later, by the individual at Stubb Mill, Norfolk—making this the second occurrence of the species in Britain.
Previous records in the Channel Islands, most notably an individual on Alderney in spring 2020, had already provided strong indications that British occurrences were imminent. These records mirror the broader European trend and suggest that Black-winged Kites reaching Britain are likely to originate from the expanding French population.
With two records now within a short space of time, and given the species’ continued population growth and northward spread on the Continent, it seems increasingly likely that further British occurrences will follow. Whether the Black-winged Kite remains a rare vagrant or becomes a more regular visitor in years to come will be watched with keen interest.
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