The white plumage and delicate flight of this bird impart an angelic appearance from a distance. But the deep red eyes at close range look more like devil's eyes; perhaps a devil in disguise. This individual appears to be undergoing a pre-basic molt evidenced by a mixture of old and new feathers on the mantle and in the wing. I think it has replaced about half of its primaries. Can we determine approximate age from this?
This species was lumped with the White-tailed Kite (E. leucurus) of North and South America (AOU 34th supplement) but then split again in the AOU 39th supplement. The most obvious difference is the much shorter tail of Black-shouldered. As a consequence the flight dynamics of the two species are different. However both capture prey by raising their wings high over their back and dropping to the ground feet first.
IOC and Howard & Moore call this species the Black-winged Kite while HBW calls it Common Black-shouldered Kite.
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