EntdeckenVögel

White-tailed Kite

Elanus leucurus

The White-tailed Kite is a beautiful bird with striking white feathers and a long tail. It loves to soar high in the sky and can be seen hovering over fields looking for food.

Lebensraum: Grasslands

Aussehen

The White-tailed Kite is a sleek, medium-sized raptor with striking white undersides and a pale grey back. It features distinctive bright red eyes and black patches on its shoulder and wingtips. Its long, pointed wings and pure white tail are notable, giving it its name.

ReichAnimaliaStammChordataKlasseAvesOrdnungAccipitriformesFamilieAccipitridaeGattungElanus

White-tailed Kite

Kategorie

Vögel

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Female kites often build their nests high in tall trees using sticks and twigs.

Kites are one of the few raptors that often hunt by hovering motionless in the air.

Their sharp talons act like grappling hooks, helping them snatch prey with ease!

They can twist their tail like a rudder to steer precisely while hunting!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

White-tailed Kites can hover almost perfectly still in the air because of specialized wing and tail structure that helps them spot prey from above.

White-tailed Kites have special feather adaptations that help them fly almost silently, allowing them to surprise unsuspecting prey.

White-tailed Kites possess exceptional vision that helps them spot tiny rodents moving in tall grass from high in the sky.

Maße und Details

Länge: 35-43 cm
Flügelspannweite: 88-102 cm
Gewicht: 0.25-0.38 kg
Lebenserwartung: 5-10 Jahre
Top Speed: 55 km/h
Gelegegröße: 3-5
Brutzeit: 30-32 Tage

Ernährung und Fütterung

These skilled hunters primarily eat small mammals like voles and mice.

Hauptnahrung

mice
voles
gophers
shrews
grasshoppers

Nahrungssuche

Ambush

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

hunts

California Vole

Microtus californicus

A key part of their diet in grassland habitats.

eaten by

Great Horned Owl

Bubo virginianus

Large raptors sometimes prey on adult kites or nestlings.

shelters

Valley Oak

Quercus lobata

Often nests high in large trees like native oak species.

Merkmale

Gefiedert

Gefiedert beschreibt Tiere, hauptsächlich Vögel, die ein Federkleid besitzen.

Luftbewohnend

Luftbewohnende Tiere verbringen einen erheblichen Teil ihres Lebens in der Luft und nutzen den Flug für verschiedene Aktivitäten wie Jagd, Wanderungen oder Nestbau.

Grasland

Grasland-Lebensräume sind terrestrische Biome, die von Gräsern und krautigen Pflanzen dominiert werden und einer Vielzahl von Weidetieren als Lebensraum dienen.

Lauerjäger

Ein Lauerjäger jagt, indem er geduldig wartet und sich versteckt, um dann einen plötzlichen Angriff zu starten, wenn arglose Beute in Reichweite kommt.