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Visiting Swallow-tailed Kites

It is the time of year when the Swallow-tailed Kites visit us here at the sanctuary. They tend to stop by annually to feed on a very specific berry that is now ripe within the habitat. They circle fairly low near the trees, waiting their turn, and then dive down to snatch the berries, eating them mid flight. 

The birds are easily recognizable by their sleek shape and ability to swoop and glide effortlessly. They can move from low areas to great heights with only the slightest movement. The birds are able to pick the berries from the trees without pausing. We caught several of them on video, gracefully circling, rolling, and gliding above. 

Comments(9)

  1. REPLY
    Cintia Abney says
    January 30, 2022 at 2:13 pm

    Wonderful!! They seem to be bigger than the swallows i see here around Chicago( barn, bunk and tree swallows)..

  2. REPLY
    Barbara H. Wilson says
    January 30, 2022 at 2:35 pm

    They are beautiful birds in flight—Thanks!

  3. REPLY
    Alana says
    January 30, 2022 at 3:15 pm

    Like Cintia, they do seems bigger than our Barn Swallows here in N. CA but seem to move the same. They are amazing to watch. Do these make nests out of mud too?

  4. REPLY
    Angie Gibson says
    January 30, 2022 at 3:48 pm

    Soaring and swooping, enjoying the feast there at the sanctuary. Great job capturing the birds in action !

  5. REPLY
    Patricia says
    January 30, 2022 at 4:39 pm

    The swallow-tailed kites are bigger than swallows because they’re not swallows. They are pernine raptors, who eat mostly insects in warm climates. Their range includes a tiny bit of the gulf coast and Florida. Thank you for sharing this with us! I love birds!

  6. REPLY
    Suzanne Eaton says
    January 30, 2022 at 6:52 pm

    Beautiful birds. Thank you for sharing.

  7. REPLY
    Julie says
    January 30, 2022 at 7:18 pm

    Very exciting! You are a birder, Patricia!

  8. REPLY
    JoAnn Merriman-Eaton says
    January 31, 2022 at 6:11 pm

    Loved watching this graceful motion in flight. When I see these videos of GSE, the lush greenery, blue skies, birds gracefully flying, ponds full of mud to wallow in, scratchy tree to scratch a bootie on, I have to always think these rescued girls must think they have arrived in the paradise they have only dreamed about. SO very thankful for GSE, and would like to remind everyone they can name GSE as their charity of choice to receive donations everytime you use Amazon Smile.

    • REPLY
      Sara says
      January 31, 2022 at 6:41 pm

      Thank you for the reminder, JoAnn.

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