This evening on the drive home I saw a swallow-tailed kite wheeling around the pastures just up the road from our home. These splendid agile birds are yet another "black and white" raptor species that can be observed in north central Florida.
Swallow-tailed kites generally hunt on the wing, taking insect prey out of the air like swallows, but occasionally may also take small snakes, mammals and other small prey from low branches or other spots nearer to the ground. These kites have a beautiful forked tail and their black and white plumage makes them look like they are flying around in black-tie formalwear.
Beauty, thy name is Elanoides forficatus.
Monday, April 18, 2005
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