Family break-up in Black and Red Kites Milvus migrans and M. milvus: is time of independence an offspring decision?

I observed the natural process of family break‐up in 13 families of Black Kites Milvus migrans and five families of Red Kites M. milvus in which fledglings had been individually marked. In other broods, I performed experiments which modified the parental investment fledglings received by supplementing nests of both species with food or transferring Black Kite chicks to nests with younger or older chicks of the same species. The time of family...