Unusual for raptors, Swallow-tailed Kites will eat fruit, especially on their wintering grounds. In South Florida, where Swallow-tailed Kites sometimes nest in suburbs, their diet includes hatchlings of the introduced and thriving Green Iguana. But these predatory acrobats don't limit themselves to invertebrates: As they cruise the treetops, they also snag snakes, lizards, treefrogs, and even small bird nestlings and eggs. Swallow-tailed Kites primarily eat flying insects such as dragonflies and cicadas, which they capture and consume on the wing. (Audio: Swallow-tailed Kite flight call by Dusan M. Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus yetapa).One of its calls is a high-pitched, whistled klee-klee-klee. This bird is usually seen in flight, often high over the trees, and is not often heard. Its white body and black wings and distinctive tail make it easy to identify. The other subspecies, comprising the majority of the world's Swallow-tailed Kites, is resident in Central and South America.įrom its bill to the tips of its forked tail, the Swallow-tailed Kite measures almost two feet long, with a wingspan of over four feet.
The population that nests in the United States breeds from coastal South Carolina to Florida and west to Louisiana and eastern Texas. Two Swallow-tailed Kite subspecies are recognized. Other nicknames, such as "Wasp Hawk" or "Snake Hawk," describe the bird's diet of insects and small reptiles. In the 18 th century, the English naturalist and illustrator Mark Catesby originally christened it Accipiter cauda furcata (forked-tail hawk). Numerous NamesĮasy to see overhead in areas where it nests, the Swallow-tailed Kite has gathered many names, including "Forked-tailed Kite" or "Swallow Hawk," nods to its unique appearance and flight style. These birds also migrate in large groups that sometimes number in the thousands. Pairs commonly nest in close proximity, and outside the breeding season, communal night and pre-migratory roosts may attract hundreds of kites. Like the Harris's Hawk, the Swallow-tailed Kite is unusually gregarious for a raptor. In flight, it frequently turns its tail, sometimes to nearly 90 degrees, using it as a rudder to maintain its flight path, veer sharply, or circle. This largest of American kites is a graceful, buoyant flier, so lightweight and maneuverable that it can capture a dragonfly mid-air or pluck a lizard from its treetop hideout - all without a single wing beat. The Swallow-tailed Kite is unmistakable in flight, with its long, pointed wings, deeply forked tail, and contrasting black-and-white plumage.
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