Swallow-tailed Kite

Swallow-tailed Kite, adult; Indian Lakes, FL

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Reproduction
8. Conservation Status
9. Other Names

A strikingly marked raptor of wetlands in the southeastern United States, the Swallow-tailed Kite captures flying insects or plucks insects and lizards from the tops of trees.

Cool Facts

• The Swallow-tailed Kite rarely flap its wings while flying, but it almost continuously rotates its tail, often to nearly 90 degrees, in order to hold a heading, make a sharp turn, or trace tight circles while drifting across the sky.
• The Swallow-tailed Kite frequently eats while flying.

Description

• Size: 50-64 cm (20-25 in)
• Wingspan: 122 cm (48 in)
• Weight: 370-600 g (13.06-21.18 ounces)

• Medium-sized hawk.
• Striking black-and-white coloring, with white head and body and black wings and tail.
• Long, thin, pointed wings.
• Long, forked tail.

Sex Differences

Sexes look alike.

Immature

Similar to adult, but with shorter tail.

Similar Species

• Magnificent Frigatebird has long wings and forked tail, but does not have white wing linings or body, is larger, and is found over the ocean, not inland.
• White-tailed Kite has white tail and black spots on wings.
• Mississippi Kite is dull gray with a slightly rounded black tail.

Sound

Call a high, whistled "klee, klee, klee."

Range

Range Map

© 2004 Cornell Lab of Ornithology

About the map

Summer Range

Breeds in scattered locations in very southeastern United States; primarily in Florida. Also in Central America and South America.

Winter Range

Winters in South America.

Habitat

Forested regions, often bottomland, or riverine forest, also open pine woodland.

Reproduction

Condition at Hatching

Helpless and covered in down.

Conservation Status

Population in United States appears stable.

Other Names

Le Milan de la Caroline, Milan à queue fourchue (French)
Gavilan tijereta, Gavilan cola de tijera (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Meyer, K. D. 1995. Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus). In The Birds of North America, No. 138 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and The American Ornithologists? Union, Washington, D.C.