Animal Profiles
Birds

Swallow-tailed kite

Elanoides forficatus

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

The swallow-tailed kite is a black-and-white raptor with a deeply forked tail. It catches insects and plucks small animals from vegetation while remaining on the wing.

Elanoides forficatus (swallow-tailed kite)

Andy Morffew from Itchen Abbas, Hampshire, UK · CC BY

At a glance

Habitat
Temperate forest, Wetlands
Diet
Insectivore
Food
Mainly insects, with small vertebrates also taken.

Classification

Common name
Swallow-tailed kite
Browse group
Birds
Scientific name or taxon
Elanoides forficatus
Taxon rank
species
Order
Accipitriformes
Family
Accipitridae
Genus
Elanoides
Source classification
Aves

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

  • The forked tail helps steer during flight.
  • Adults often eat while flying.
  • Young receive many small vertebrates.

Habitat and range

The cited accounts describe southeastern United States breeding populations and their South American wintering grounds. Wooded wetlands and tall trees near feeding areas are important for nesting and foraging.

Appearance and adaptations

Long narrow wings and the deeply divided tail support agile turns. The head and underside are white, contrasting sharply with dark upperparts and wings.

Diet and behaviour

Adults eat many flying insects and also take small vertebrates, especially when feeding young. The tail continually adjusts during aerial hunting. Birds may gather before migration and usually nest high in trees.

Sources

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