A kite (Milvus milvus) is a large bird of prey. It is about 48.3 centimeters (19 inches) long. The upper feathers are dark. The belly is white.
Kites build their nests high in trees from sticks and other plant material. They usually have two or three young. They feed them snakes, grasshoppers, and other small animals. People sometimes call kites “snake hawks.”
Kites are migratory birds. They spend the summer in Israel, especially in the mountains of southern Judea, in the empty land west of the Dead Sea, and in the wilderness near Beersheba.
The red kite, also called the glede, is a medium-sized bird of prey. The edges of its upper bill overlap the lower bill like sharp scissors. Its tail is forked (split into two points), like a fish’s tail. Its call is loud and often sounds like a sharp whistle.
Other kites in the Holy Land include the black kite (Milvus migrans) and the black-winged kite (Elanus caeruleus).
The kite is listed among the unclean birds in the law of Moses (Leviticus 11:14; Deuteronomy 14:13). Some scholars and translators are not certain about the exact type of bird meant in these verses.