Citizen Science for Swallow-tailed Kites

03/10/2023

Hi everyone, it's that time of year again: The kites are back! Already we’ve received sightings in Florida and we are watching as they make their way north up the coast.

In 2022 we collected over 2200 sightings which was an increase over 2021's numbers. While the Swallow-tailed kite's historical range included much of the eastern half of the continental United States including the Mississippi river watershed, illegal shooting and severe habitat loss led to a dramatic range contraction. Currently, this species breeds in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, less than one third of the historical breeding range. Sighting data from this community science project suggests that the kites' range may be expanding inland and the birds are being seen again in some of their historic range.

Now that spring is upon us and the Swallow-tailed kites are returning to North America, please report any sightings to https://stki.thecenterforbirdsofprey.org/. Whether you are reporting individual sightings or compiling a daily report of Swallow-tailed kites that you see in your backyard, each report adds to a valuable collection of data that can be utilized to protect these vulnerable birds.

If you have any questions about submitting a report or any other Swallow-tailed kite questions feel free to either DM us here on facebook or email us at [email protected]

08/10/2022

Along with the sweltering heat, the dog days of summer mean it is time for Swallow-Tailed kites to prepare for and begin their journey to South America for winter. Those of us in the northern part of their range can only expect to see Swallow-Tailed kites until the end of August with a straggler or two seen through early October. Those in the more southern part of their range including Florida and the gulf coast can expect to see large groups of kites foraging together before they fly from Florida to Cuba and then on to Venezuela and Brazil or they take the land route through Texas, and Mexico, eventually landing in Brazil. No matter where you see a kite, you can still support our data collection efforts by reporting sightings to https://stki.thecenterforbirdsofprey.org/.

04/19/2022

Wow, spring really snuck up on us this year! We’ve already been receiving a number of reports of Swallow-tailed kites returning to the skies of the south east and it won’t be long before many of these birds start collecting nesting material to begin building nests in time for breeding season. Keep your eyes open for birds carrying nesting material and be sure to report it on our website.

As for the recap of last year's kite sightings, it was another stellar year with over 2000 sightings throughout the southeastern US. The most northern sighting of 2021 was north east of Charlotte in China Grove, NC and the most western sighting was in Brazoria, TX, just south of Galveston.The data that you all are sharing helps us to document areas where Swallow-tailed kite sightings have been rare but now are becoming more regular. This is great news for the kites and with more public awareness and habit protection these birds may have the potential to be returned to parts of their historic range.

Thank you all for your continued support and hard work inputting your kite sightings! If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to email us at [email protected] or
DM here on facebook.

03/31/2021

Swallow-tailed Kite season is upon us, and to kick it off, here’s a review of last year’s data.

With sightings and assistance from all of you, 2020 was a successful year for the Citizen Science for Swallow-tailed Kites Project managed by the Avian Conservation Center/Center for Birds of Prey. Despite challenges, we added over 2000 sightings from throughout the eastern US to our ever-growing database. As the weather warms and we begin to see an influx of the year's first neotropical migrants, we anxiously await to see your reports of 2021!

This map shows last year's sightings. As we would expect, the sightings are confined primarily to the seven southeastern states with the majority of them in our home state of South Carolina. While we know that we have one of the larger breeding populations of kites, this high percentage of sightings in SC is likely a result of a greater awareness of the program in close proximity to the Center's campus in Awendaw. You can help us spread the word to your network on social media, especially those in the range of the kite, by sharing our page. You can also contribute to the conversation by sharing your sightings, photos, videos, and interesting stories related to the Citizen Science for Swallow-tailed Kites program on our page.

Finally, we would also like to thank those who are reporting birds frequently seen at the same location, as this information can give us tremendous insight about important breeding and foraging habitat. We know that many of you see these birds in the same location throughout the season and that reporting sightings online each day can become time-consuming. We encourage those in this situation to keep a paper log of repetitious sightings at these locations and submit them to us at the end of the season in September.

Thank you again for all the contributions made to this program, from the ongoing support of the Swallow-tailed Kite species to your detailed information and reporting, please know that your time and effort is important and appreciated. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please email us at [email protected]. With kites already returning to North America, we look forward to an action-packed and exciting 2021 season.

Sincerely,

The Avian Conservation Center Team

08/20/2020

Have you reported your Swallow-tailed Kite sightings yet?

As fall approaches, the kites are preparing to begin their annual journey to South America. The Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus) is considered an endangered species in the state of South Carolina and today only occupies about a third of its historical range in North America. This is due in large part to the destruction of their preferred breeding habitat - bottomland hardwood forests (swamps) such as those found throughout the ACE Basin and the Santee River Delta.

Sightings of these unmistakable birds are exciting opportunities for you to engage in the conservation of this endangered species and its critical habitat. By submitting the details of your sighting to our online database, you provide valuable data that allows the Center, along with other scientists and organizations throughout the kite’s range, to identify and protect the remaining critical habitat. If you haven’t already reported your summer sightings of this beautiful and vulnerable species, be sure to visit our reporting page now to do so. Citizen Science for Swallow-tailed Kites

📸: Cary McDonald

03/30/2020

Swallow-tailed Kite season has officially begun, and some of you have already reported seeing your first kites of 2020! Thank you to the citizens of Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina for submitting sightings so far this year. We have already surpassed 130 sightings, and it isn’t even April!

Please continue to report your sightings throughout the year to our Citizen Science Database (stki.thecenterforbirdsofprey.org), and share your images or videos with us via this page. Since most of us can’t do a lot of exploring right now due to COVID-19, grab those cameras and allow everyone to get great looks at these birds!

Photo credit: Caroline Sankey

08/27/2019

Thank you to those who have contributed sightings so far this year. Please continue to report your sightings to us as Swallow-tailed Kites migrate to South America, and stay tuned for an end of the year report coming soon!

With fall migration slowly beginning, keep an eye out for the last sightings of our native kite species this year, the Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) and the Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus). Since these kites are long-distance migrants, they are starting a journey to their wintering grounds in South America. In some cases, this journey can be up to 5,000-miles. Even more astonishing - some of the kites making this trek are just over two months old!

09/04/2018

There was a Swallow-tailed kite spotted in Topeka, Kansas! These birds have started their migration to South America where they will overwinter. Make sure you continue to report your sightings to our database: https://stki.thecenterforbirdsofprey.org/

There’s something in the air in northeast Kansas — and it isn't the flu.The buzz around town is over a rare, migratory bird of prey that was