The kites are an extremely diverse group, containing some of the world's commonest and most widespread raptors as well as the rarest and most localised. Ranging from highly specialised feeders to opportunistic scavengers, they are often impressive birds with characteristically buoyant flight and great agility. The group comprises more than 30 species in 17 genera, including honey-buzzards, cuckoo-hawks, bazas and the bat-hawk.

Plate 7: Old World Kites
           Red; Cape Verde; Black; Black-shouldered

Plate 8: Scissor-tailed Kite, Cuckoo-hawks and Bat-hawk

Plate 9: Indomalayan and Australasian Bazas
           Jerdon’s; Black; Pacific

Plate 10: Asian and Australasian Honey-buzzards
           Long-tailed; Black; Eastern; Barred

Plate 11: Endemic Australian Kites
           Square-tailed; Black-breasted; Black-shouldered; Letter-winged

Plate 12: New World Kites I
           White-tailed; Snail; Slender-billed; Hook-billed

Plate 13: New World Kites II
           Grey-headed; Plumbeous; Mississippi

Plate 13a (black and white illustration): Forbes’s and Grey-headed Kites

Plate 14: New World Kites III
           Swallow-tailed; Pearl; Double-toothed; Rufous-thighed

Plate 15: Indo-Australian Kites
           Whistling and Brahminy (also Sandford’s and White-bellied Fish-eagles)