Black Kite, Monarto Zoo, South Australia

Last spring my son and his family came over to South Australia for a short holiday. During that time we all went to the local open range Monarto Zoo. This zoo is a part of the Adelaide Zoological Gardens and we like visiting on a regular basis, especially seeing it is a ten minute drive from home here in Murray Bridge.  Being Life Members we also like to get value from our tickets.

On this visit last year the weather was beautiful with plenty of sunshine and a pleasant breeze. The bird life was also very cooperative.

I took the above photo of a Black Kite soaring low overhead as we went on one of the walking trails in the zoo. It came low and also slowly enough to get a reasonable photo.

Black Kites are widespread and common in the Murraylands region. Quite often – almost daily – we have one or two glide quietly over our house.  In other parts of the town I have also seen small flocks of up to about five soaring near each other. Several years ago I saw about fifty on the ground or gliding low overhead near a small abattoirs on the eastern edge of town.

Further reading:

• A visit to Monarto Zoo
• A visit to Monarto Zoo – with comments on the birds
• Ostriches in South Australia
• Birds of Monarto Zoological Park