# Swallow-tailed Kite (*Elanoides forficatus*) The Swallow-tailed Kite is a beautiful bird with long, forked tails and striking black and white feathers. They glide gracefully in the sky and are often seen soaring high above forests and wetlands. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 9 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Swallow-tailed Kite](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Swallow-tailed_Kite_%2834163638494%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Andy Morffew from Itchen Abbas, Hampshire, UK, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Swallow-tailed_Kite_%2834163638494%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Swallow-tailed Kite has a striking white head and body, with contrasting glossy black flight feathers and a deeply forked tail. Its underwings are also white, making it stand out from other raptors. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Accipitriformes - **Family:** Accipitridae - **Genus:** Elanoides ## Interesting facts - During migration, hundreds of Swallow-tailed Kites can roost together. - Swallow-tailed Kites perform amazing aerial dances during courtship. - These birds decorate their nests with fresh green leaves every day. - They often build their nests over 100 feet high in the tallest trees! ## Special abilities - **Acrobatic Air-Hunter:** Swallow-tailed Kites can snatch insects, small animals, and even drink water from surfaces while flying, thanks to their agile flight. - **Precision Pilot:** Swallow-tailed Kites have a long, deeply forked tail that helps them steer with incredible precision, even in strong winds. - **Mid-Air Meal Maker:** Swallow-tailed Kites can eat their prey completely in flight, using their talons to hold food and their beak to tear pieces. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 50-68 cm - **Wingspan:** 112-136 cm - **Weight:** 0.31-0.6 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-15 years - **Speed:** 60 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-3 - **Incubation:** 28-31 days - **Migration Distance:** 7000 km ## Diet & Feeding These agile hunters primarily snatch insects, tree frogs, and small reptiles directly from the air or branches. - **Primary Foods:** dragonflies, cicadas, tree frogs, small snakes, lizards, wasps - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Green Tree Frog (*Hyla cinerea*) — A common prey item snatched from vegetation. - **Eaten by:** Carolina Anole (*Anolis carolinensis*) — These lizards are often caught from treetops. - **Eats:** [Wandering Glider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/wandering-glider) (*Pantala flavescens*) — A frequently hunted dragonfly for mid-air meals. - **Shelter:** [Loblolly Pine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/loblolly-pine) (*Pinus taeda*) — Tall pine trees are favored for building their nests. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Gliding](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/gliding): Gliding animals move through the air by launching themselves and maintaining flight with specialized body structures, without flapping wings. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and do not disturb their nests. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Swallow-tailed Kite? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Swallow-tailed Kite? 50-68 cm ### What is Swallow-tailed Kite's wingspan? 112-136 cm ### How much does Swallow-tailed Kite weigh? 0.31-0.6 kg ### How long does Swallow-tailed Kite live? 10-15 years ### How fast can Swallow-tailed Kite move? 60 km/h ### What does Swallow-tailed Kite eat? These agile hunters primarily snatch insects, tree frogs, and small reptiles directly from the air or branches. ### Where is Swallow-tailed Kite usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/corkscrew-swamp-sanctuary) — Florida, US · Nature Reserve - [Heathcote Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/heathcote-botanical-gardens) — Florida, US · Botanical Garden - [Silver Springs](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/silver-springs) — Florida, US · Zoo - [Dewey W. Wills Wildlife Management Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/dewey-w-wills-wildlife-management-area) — Louisiana, US · Nature Reserve - [Bellingrath Gardens and Home](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bellingrath-gardens-and-home) — Alabama, US · Botanical Garden - [Homestead Historic Downtown District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/homestead-historic-downtown-district) — Florida, US · Historic District [View all places to see Swallow-tailed Kite](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/swallow-tailed-kite) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Swallow-tailed Kite: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/swallow-tailed-kite)