Citizen Science for Swallow-tailed Kites

Hi everyone, it's that time of year again: The kites are back! Already we’ve received sightings in Florida and we are watching as they make their way north up the coast.

In 2022 we collected over 2200 sightings which was an increase over 2021's numbers. While the Swallow-tailed kite's historical range included much of the eastern half of the continental United States including the Mississippi river watershed, illegal shooting and severe habitat loss led to a dramatic range contraction. Currently, this species breeds in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, less than one third of the historical breeding range. Sighting data from this community science project suggests that the kites' range may be expanding inland and the birds are being seen again in some of their historic range.

Now that spring is upon us and the Swallow-tailed kites are returning to North America, please report any sightings to https://stki.thecenterforbirdsofprey.org/. Whether you are reporting individual sightings or compiling a daily report of Swallow-tailed kites that you see in your backyard, each report adds to a valuable collection of data that can be utilized to protect these vulnerable birds.

If you have any questions about submitting a report or any other Swallow-tailed kite questions feel free to either DM us here on facebook or email us at [email protected]

Thank you to those who have contributed sightings so far this year. Please continue to report your sightings to us as Swallow-tailed Kites migrate to South America, and stay tuned for an end of the year report coming soon!

With fall migration slowly beginning, keep an eye out for the last sightings of our native kite species this year, the Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) and the Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus). Since these kites are long-distance migrants, they are starting a journey to their wintering grounds in South America. In some cases, this journey can be up to 5,000-miles. Even more astonishing - some of the kites making this trek are just over two months old!