CLASSIFICATION OF MILVUS MIGRANS : PARIAH KITE
PHYLUM :- CHORDATA (Notochord, dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill slits present )
Group :- CRANIATA ( Definite head. Cranium with brain present )
Sub-phylum :- VERTEBRATA ( vertebral column present)
Division :- GNATHOSTOMATA ( Jaws and paired appendages present )
Super class :- TETRAPODA ( Paired limbs, lungs, bony skeleton and cornified skin)
Class :- AVES ( Biped and feathered vertebrates ).
Sub-class :- NEORNITHES ( True birds. Metacarpels fused )
Super Order :- NEOGNATHAE ( Modern birds, no teeth, sternum keeled).
Order :- CICONIIFORMES ( Long legged and long necked wading birds).
Genus : Milvus
Species :- migrans ; Pariah Kite
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
Milvus migrans is found in India, Pakistan, Srilanka and Myanmar.
HABIT AND HABITAT
Found in all types habitat specially near human habitat feeding on snakes, lizards, mice, rats and young birds.
GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF MILVUS MIGRANS : PARIAH KITE
- Commonly called Kite. In Hindi it is called Cheel.
- Colour of the body brownish. Birds measure approximately 60 cm in length.
- Body divisible into head, neck, breast, trunk and forked tail.
- Head contains paired eyes, nostrils, ear opening and a large stout decurved pointed beak adapted for tearing the prey.
- No sexual dimorphism. Male and female alike.
- Both the male and female assist in the nest building process.
- typically live in social groups. During the breeding season, however, they can be solitary or live in smaller groups
Special features
They look gangly in flight with their long wings and long, slightly forked tail.They have a pale patch beneath each wingtip, and a yellowish stripe on the upper sides of their wing coverts
Identification
Since the bird as brown colour and decurved pointed beak and hence it is Milvus migrans.
