• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Taxonomic note
Previously placed in family Accipitridae but moved to current family based on the phylogeny of Starikov and Wink (2020). In the past referred to by specific name notatus on grounds that axillaris supposedly unidentifiable and could have applied to E. scriptus; this, however, unfounded (Schodde and Mason 1980). Traditionally thought to form a species-group with E. caeruleus and E. leucurus; all three sometimes considered conspecific, but differ variously in plumage, morphology and behaviour. Monotypic.

Taxonomic source(s)
Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International. 2022. Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world. Version 7. Available at: https://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/HBW-BirdLife_Checklist_v7_Dec22.zip.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	-	-

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2024	Least Concern
2016	Least Concern
2012	Least Concern
2009	Least Concern
2008	Least Concern
2004	Least Concern
2000	Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994	Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988	Lower Risk/Least Concern

Migratory status	nomadic	Forest dependency	does not normally occur in forest
Land-mass type		Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	10,000,000 km2
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	unknown	poor	estimated	2009
Population trend	increasing	-	suspected	-
Generation length	4.56 years	-	-	-

Population justification: The global population is estimated to number > c.100,000 individuals (Ferguson-Lees et al. 2001), while national population sizes have been estimated at < c.10,000 breeding pairs in China and < c.100 breeding pairs in Taiwan (Brazil 2009). Clearance for agriculture has lead to an increase in suitable habitat and growing populations of prey species such as house mice (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001).

Trend justification: Clearance for agriculture has lead to an increase in suitable habitat and growing populations of prey species such as house mice (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001).

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
Australia	extant	native	yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable Land	suitable	resident
Grassland	Subtropical/Tropical Dry	suitable	resident
Savanna	Dry	suitable	resident
Wetlands (inland)	Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls)	suitable	resident
Altitude	0 - 2530 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Climate change & severe weather	Habitat shifting & alteration	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Whole (>90%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects, Ecosystem degradation

Purpose	Scale
Pets/display animals, horticulture	international

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Black-shouldered Kite Elanus axillaris. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/black-shouldered-kite-elanus-axillaris on 22/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/12/2024.