They return around March and begin breeding through the spring and summer. These kites are migratory and leave for warmer climates in Central and South America each autumn. I have seen them soaring over The Villages, Kissimmee, Venice Beach, Lake Wales, Melbourne and Key West.įlorida is the USA’s Swallow-tailed Kite Central. įlorida and closely adjoining areas of the US are the northern limits of this species’ normal breeding range, and due to their aerial skill and prey choice (lizards, insects, frogs) have managed to adapt to human incursions on their territory. I have seen family groups soaring together a few times and they are a comforting and familiar sight almost every day. Slowly, since then, there are more and more of them overhead, and this year they are about as numerous as they were in 2003. The Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail uses the Swallow-tailed Kite as it’s “official” bird. In 2004, we got a “double whammy” from hurricanes Frances and Jeannie and along with other formerly common species (most notably the Brown Pelicans), the local population of Swallow-tailed Kites all but vanished from our skies. ![]() By our second spring, they were a common sight almost daily on the stretch from our apartment out to the interstate (which was much less developed than now). When we moved to Florida over a decade ago, I noticed these birds during our first spring and summer. I didn’t go birding this weekend (at least not as an “official” activity with birding specifically in mind), but seeing some Swallow-tailed Kites on several occasions, it got me to thinking about these most graceful of flyers.Įating on the wing. Leave a comment Florida’s Official Bird of Awesomeness Posted on 2014 January 30 by Lonely Birder Posted in Birding Tagged ARCI, owl prowl, Sams House, Swallow-tailed Kite. On the way home, I stopped off of FL-405 to watch a rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, which was a spectacular end to the day. It was a beautiful night, and I caught some great views of Jupiter and its Galilean moons, and the Orion Nebula in my binoculars. We only ever caught fleeting glimpses of them against the starlight and heard them call once more as the group headed home. Once on the trails in the dark, however, the owls were silent and we had no evidence of them until some of the group saw one fly overhead as we came back to the campfire. ![]() ![]() The prowl had a promising start, as we heard two owls calling loudly to each other while still getting organized around the campfire (yes, we did have marshmallows, by the way, and mine were quite delicious!). ![]() Despite the frigid start to the day, the evening was pleasant (particularly after putting on my fleece pullover), as we waited for sunset to see the area Barred Owls. I proceeded to head to the Sams House at Pine Island Conservation Area, on Merritt Island for an owl prowl. I talked a bit with Dave last year during the field trips he led (including the pelagic trip), and it was good to see him again. When the presentation ended, I wandered the exhibit hall and bumped into Dave Goodwin at the Florida Ornithological Society booth. For more information, visit the ACRI website and their Swallow-tailed Kite project. It was an interesting presentation, and they elicit information on kite sightings by interested parties to get a better picture of how these magnificent birds are faring year to year throughout their lives. They’ve been tracking Swallow-tailed Kites from Florida and other southeastern states along their migration paths to and from South America. After my adventure with Laura and Corey, and a quick trip to the MINWR Visitors’ Center, I had a classroom presentation given by Gina Kent for the Avian Research & Conservation Institute (ARCI).ĪRCI tracks and researches various endangered and threatened species in the United States.
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