Japanese Black-Eared Kite

This raptor can be found throughout most of Japan, and there were many flying gracefully over the cliffs and sea stacks of Cape Jogasaki (Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan). Unlike other raptors, the black kite (鳶 / tonbi or tobi) is a scavenger. So, I wasn’t surprised to see them near the Jogasaki coastline following the many fishing boats sailing up and down the coast hauling in their catch from the deep coastal waters.