Upon viewing the footage, our identification team initially rubbed their eyes in disbelief. However, the characteristic silhouette with the short tail, the greyish-white plumage and the distinctive black “shoulder” patches left no room for doubt: Our ultra-high-resolution video cameras had captured a black-winged kite!
Our sighting many kilometres north of the Baltic Sea island of Rügen in mid-April is exceptional in two respects. The black-winged kite is a rarity in Germany and tends to avoid the open sea. It may even be possible that our sighting is the very first record of this species over open sea.
The black-winged kite (Elanus caeruleus) is a small bird of prey originally distributed across Africa, South Asia and the Iberian Peninsula. In recent years, there has been a marked increase in sightings in Central Europe. Last year, the first breeding records were finally confirmed for Germany and Denmark.
The exceptional sighting occurred within the framework of a digital aerial survey. This method is used to systematically record birds and marine mammals in large offshore areas.
High-resolution cameras provide image and video footage, which is subsequently evaluated. The data obtained provides insights into the density and distribution of the animals and forms an important basis for research, marine conservation and a sustainable use of marine habitats.
Please refer to our website for further information on digital aerial surveys.