This bird hunts over Imperial Valley farm fields. It hovers in the air, feet dangling, then swoops down for the kill.
They can also be seen hunting the grassy medians
between freeway lanes in urban areas along the coast.
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Formerly known as "Black-Shouldered Kite."
This bird hunts over Imperial Valley farm fields. It hovers in the air, feet dangling, then swoops down for the kill. They can also be seen hunting the grassy medians
between freeway lanes in urban areas along the coast.
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If you are interested in learning more about this bird online - I recommend you start with the Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD. http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/infocenter.htmlThey present photographs, songs, identification tips, maps, and life history information for North American birds - including the White-Tailed Kite
OTHER OUTSIDE LINKS FOR THIS BIRD:
Critter of the Month - Nice images and field notes displayed by the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (ESNERR) and the Elkhorn Slough Foundation in Monterey County, California.
Kite Nestlings - The Audubon California's "Starr Ranch Sanctuary" located in Trabuco Canyon, displays photos of some of the wildlife found there. Included is one showing three White-tailed Kite nestlings in their nest.
Conservation Science Institute - Informative page with images of nestlings, eggs, adults and juvenile White-tailed Kite. Check out the photo of the pair of adults transferring a meadow mouse in mid-air!
The following "WAV" format sound file is copyright protected by Doug Van Gausig of Sedona, Arizona, as part of the "Sounds of Nature" Web site:
- http://www.naturesongs.com/wtki1.wav - White-Tailed Kites (breeding pair)
This site is maintained by:
Eldon R. Caldwell
Imperial Valley College
Email: eldonc@imperial.cc.ca.us