White-tailed Kite
Elanus leucurus
The White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) is a common kites, old world vultures, eagles, and hawk found in 25 countries, weighing about 346 g. The white-tailed kite is a small raptor found in South America and parts of western North America.
About the White-tailed Kite
The white-tailed kite is a small raptor found in South America and parts of western North America. It replaces the related Old World black-winged kite in its native range.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The coloration of the white-tailed kite is gull-like, but its shape and flight are falcon-like, with a rounded tail. While it has white faces and white underparts, it has black wingtips, beaks, and shoulders. Contrastingly, the white-tailed kite has deep red eyes that stand out at night. A mid-sized kite, it measures 35–43 cm (14–17 in) in length, spans 88–102 cm (35–40 in) across the wings, and weighs 250–380 g (8.8–13.4 oz). Both the wings and tail are relatively elongated, and the tarsi measure around 3.6 cm (1.4 in).
Where it lives
When to see it
The White-tailed Kite can be seen all year round, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a White-tailed Kite?
- The coloration of the white-tailed kite is gull-like, but its shape and flight are falcon-like, with a rounded tail. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a White-tailed Kite?
- The White-tailed Kite is a large sized bird weighing about 346 g.
- Where can you see a White-tailed Kite?
- The White-tailed Kite occurs in 25 countries, including the United States, Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia and Chile.
- What birds look similar to a White-tailed Kite?
- The White-tailed Kite is most easily confused with the Black-winged Kite, the Black-shouldered Kite and the Letter-winged Kite.
- Is the White-tailed Kite endangered?
- The White-tailed Kite is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the White-tailed Kite for real
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