White-tailed Kite
© Kevin Cole, CC license (by)
A difficult bird to find in Florida that requires many hours of searching and a healthy dose of luck! Potentially, they can be found throughout the peninsula but are most reliable over open prairies between Orlando and the Everglades. White-tailed Kites only recently returned to breed in Florida in the mid-1980s; they had been absent for over 50 years. Unlike other kites in the U.S., it may hover while hunting. This raptor was formerly considered a subspecies of the Black-shouldered Kite.
For more information, including a range map and sound recording, visit The Cornell Lab of Ornithology's All About Birds website.
Recommended GFBWT sites:
- Everglades National Park: Main Entrance and Shark Valley
- Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park
- Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area
Events
White-tailed Kites are often seen during the Big "O' Birding Festival
Bird's habitat
White-tailed Kites prefer open areas, such as prairies, marshes, and fields.
