Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Grey-headed Kite
Leptodon cayanensis
Grey-headed Kite (Leptodon cayanensis) — Birds of Prey of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 14 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Grey-headed Kite (Leptodon cayanensis) is a member of the Accipitridae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 474 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Accipitriformes
- Family Accipitridae Kites, Hawks, Eagles
- Genus Leptodon
- Species cayanensis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 474 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Endangered
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Grey-headed Kite is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Grey-headed Kite is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Grey-headed Kite (Leptodon cayanensis) is a member of the Accipitridae family, within the order Accipitriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA ec Mexico to n Argentina.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 474 g, with a wing length of about 30.3 cm and a tail of around 22.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 12.1 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Grey-headed Kite?
The Grey-headed Kite is a large bird that weighs around 474 g.
Where does the Grey-headed Kite live?
The Grey-headed Kite is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA ec Mexico to n Argentina, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Grey-headed Kite belong to?
The Grey-headed Kite (Leptodon cayanensis) belongs to the Accipitridae family, in the order Accipitriformes.
What does the Grey-headed Kite eat?
The Grey-headed Kite is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Grey-headed Kite migrate?
The Grey-headed Kite is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Grey-headed Kite endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Grey-headed Kite make?
1 real field recording of the Grey-headed Kite — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Grey-headed Kite's range?
The Grey-headed Kite has a mapped global range of about 12.1 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Accipitridae
A field guide to the Accipitridae family — 254 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.