What is "elanus"

Elanus is a genus of bird of prey in the elanid kite subfamily. It consists of four species.

• Black-winged kite, Elanus caeruleus
• Black-shouldered kite, Elanus axillaris
• White-tailed kite, Elanus leucurus
• Letter-winged kite, Elanus scriptus

The first three species above were considered conspecific as subspecies of Elanus caeruleus, which has been known as the black-shouldered kite.

These are white and grey raptors of open country, with black wing markings and a short square tail. They hunt by slowly quartering the habitat for rodents and other small mammals, birds and insects, sometimes hovering like a kestrel.