Photo: Andy Morffew from Itchen Abbas, Hampshire, UK / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Swallow-tailed Kite
Elanoides forficatus
Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus) — Birds of Prey of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus) is a member of the Accipitridae family found in Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Adults weigh 416 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 Elanoides
- Species forficatus
Where it lives
Southern USA to northeastern Argentina
Quick facts
- Weight
- 416 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Swallow-tailed Kite is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Swallow-tailed Kite is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus) belongs to the Accipitridae family of the order Accipitriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Its distribution covers NA, MA, SA s USA to ne Argentina.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 416 g, with a wing length of about 41.3 cm and a tail of around 27.9 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 13.3 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Swallow-tailed Kite?
The Swallow-tailed Kite is a large bird that weighs around 416 g.
Where does the Swallow-tailed Kite live?
The Swallow-tailed Kite is found across Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America with a range covering NA, MA, SA s USA to ne Argentina, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Swallow-tailed Kite belong to?
The Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus) belongs to the Accipitridae family, in the order Accipitriformes.
What does the Swallow-tailed Kite eat?
The Swallow-tailed Kite is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Swallow-tailed Kite migrate?
The Swallow-tailed Kite is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Swallow-tailed 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 Swallow-tailed Kite make?
1 real field recording of the Swallow-tailed Kite — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Swallow-tailed Kite's range?
The Swallow-tailed Kite has a mapped global range of about 13.3 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.