Kites are not aggressive or extremely predatory hunters. Instead, they eat small animals, insects, snails, or scavenge dead animals and garbage.

These raptors have short lower legs, relatively weak feet with short toes, long, often pointed wings, and a squared tail that may be notched or forked. Most kites are social and often nest in colonies.

The male and female birds in this group tend to be the same size, and often share the duties of nest building, incubation, and feeding the young.