The American Swallow-tailed Kite is one of our most elegant and agile raptors. In flight, it is unmatched by any other bird of prey as it gracefully twists and turns or soars on thermals with barely flapping its wings. Its long pointed wings, deeply forked tail, and striking black-and-white plumage are unmistakable. Its tail is more deeply forked than any other raptor. Both sexes look alike but the female is generally larger in size. The plumage of immatures are similar to those of the adult.
Formerly, the range of the American Swallow-tailed Kite in North America extended as far north as Wisconsin and Minnesota but today it occurs mostly in the southeast and along the Gulf Coast where it reaches its highest numbers in the southern swamps of Florida. It visits North America only during the breeding season, arriving mostly in early March and departing for its winter home, in South America, in September.
The Swallow-tailed Kite is a medium-sized raptor that is gregarious throughout the year. It may also nest in loose colonies.
SIZE
The American Swallow-tailed Kite is a medium-sized bird of prey. Both sexes appear very similar in size and weight but the female is slightly larger and heavier. Body lengths range between 19 and 25 inches (48 and 62 centimeters). Wingspans range between 47 and 54 inches ( 119 and 136 centimeters). Weights vary between 11 and 18 ounces (325 and 500 grams.
MORPHS
There are no morphs or unusual plumages documented for the American Swallow-tailed Kite.
SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION
Adult - Perched
- all-white head, neck, and underparts
- upperparts purplish or black including back, wings, and tail
- forked tail nearly as long as body
- wings cross over tail
- reddish eyes
- black beak with bluish or blue-gray cere
- undertail coverts and leg feathers white but often stained
Immature - Perched
- similar to adult but head and upper breast with fine dark brown streaks or varying amounts of buff on crown, nape, throat, and upper breast
- upperparts dull black or with greenish iridescence on back, wings, and tail
- white tips to wing and tail feathers
- tail not as deeply forked and outer feathers shorter than in adult
- long wings nearly reach to, or extend beyond, tip of tail
- brown eyes
SIMILAR SPECIES
The American Swallow-tailed Kite is often confused with the light morph Swainson's Hawk, the White-tailed Hawk, and the light morph Short-tailed Hawk. All three of these species have the same two-toned pattern to the underwing, relatively dark heads, and lack the distinguishing swallow-shaped tail.
OTHER NAMES
The American Swallow-tailed Kite is often referred to as the "Fork-tailed Kite", "Scissor-tailed Kite", or "Snake Kite".
ETYMOLOGY
The genus name Elanoides is derived from the Greek word elanos meaning "a kite", and oideos meaning "resembling". The specific name forficatus is from a Latin term meaning "deeply forked". Therefore, a rough translation would be "a kite resembling (something) deeply forked."
MYTHOLOGY
No known mythology for North America
VOICE
The calls of the male and female may appear similar to the human ear but the male's is lower in pitch. Usually the call consists of a three-syllable, high-pitched or shrill sound that has been described as "peet-peet-peet", "ki-ki-ki", "we-we-we", "wheet-wheet-wheet", or "klee-klee-klee." An "eeep" call is uttered between adults when food is being transferred or nest duties are being changed. During the nestling stage young can be heard throughout the day giving their characteristic "cheep" call.
