Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 12.6–15 in
32–38 cm - Weight
- 10.6–12.7 oz
300–360 g
Other Names
- Élanion à queue blanche (French)
- Milano coliblanco, Milano maromero (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- During the nonbreeding season, the White-tailed Kite roosts communally, with more than 100 individuals counted at some roosts.
- Although some populations fluctuate regularly in size, it is unknown whether the White-tailed Kite is migratory, nomadic, or both.
Habitat
Grassland
Savanna, open woodlands, marshes, desert grassland, partially cleared lands, and cultivated fields.
Food
Mammals
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless and covered in down.
Nest Placement
Tree
Behavior
Soaring
Conservation
Least Concern
Populations decreased to very low numbers by early 1900s, but increased after 1940. Some local decreases occurring currently.
Credits
- Dunk, J. R. 1995. White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus). In The Birds of North America, No. 178 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.