Swallow-Tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus) lives in lowland open woodlands across North and Central America, South America. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Swallow-Tailed Kite
- The swallow-tailed kite stands alone in its own genus, Elanoides, making it a singular raptor lineage. It was first described by Mark Catesby in 1731 and later given the binomial Falco forficatus by Linnaeus in 1758, before the genus Elanoides was created by Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1818. The Greek roots of the name mean "kite resembling," reflecting its distinctive shape. No other bird shares this genus, underscoring its taxonomic uniqueness.
- During spring migration the swallow-tailed kite journeys from Central and South America to its breeding grounds, a movement recorded by satellite-telemetry. Some individuals have been tracked over distances exceeding 10,000 mi (16,000 km), illustrating their capacity for ultra-long flights across the continents. Although only about 3 % of the global population breeds in the United States, these birds still traverse thousands of miles each season.
- Swallow-tailed kites build their nests high in wetland trees, often selecting sites as lofty as 100 ft (30 m) to gain a broad view of the surrounding forest. Loblolly pines are the preferred nesting trees, with bald cypress used when pines are unavailable, and the height of the tree is a key requirement alongside food supply. These elevated nests give the birds a panoramic perspective that aids in spotting prey and predators.
- When a swallow-tailed kite needs to drink, it skims the water surface and scoops the liquid into its beak without landing. This behaviour is consistent with its feeding style, as the bird normally captures prey while remaining aloft. It therefore usually does not break flight during feeding, allowing it to stay airborne for extended periods while hunting insects, reptiles and small vertebrates.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeNorth and Central America, South America
HabitatLowland open woodlands
DietInsects and snakes
About the Swallow-Tailed Kite
As the sun rises over the southeastern woodlands, the Swallow-Tailed Kite takes to the skies, its slender, forked tail streaming behind it like a banner as it soars with effortless precision, scanning the landscape below for the slightest whisper of movement. With wings beating in a slow, hypnotic rhythm, this majestic raptor glides and banks with an ethereal elegance, its snowy-white head and chest a striking counterpoint to the dark, slate-gray of its back. In its aerial ballet, the Swallow-Tailed Kite embodies the very essence of freedom and agility, a true master of the wind and the wild.
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