How to Identify North American Kites

Kites are raptors with long wings that spend a great deal of time soaring. They are such graceful fliers that paper kites made by man were named after them. Grab your binoculars and get ready to identify the five main species in North America.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Binoculars

1. Note the color of the bird. The Mississippi kite is mostly gray, with a white head and black tail. There is a white patch on the upper part of its wing. It migrates to South America in the winter.

2. Spot the bird with a split tail like a swallow. This is the swallow-tail kite, a beautiful bird that is white with black edges on the wings and tail.

3. Notice birds in south Texas. The hook-billed kite of the Rio Grande is rare and feeds mainly on snails. It is usually slow in flight, but can swoop and soar above trees when the weather is warm.

4. Hear the song. The snail kite call is like a short cackle, unlike most of the other kites which have a thin, high whistle. The male snail kite is black and the female is brown with white streaks on its face. They have a slow flight and live only in Florida.

5. Observe the birds that live in open country. Most kites live where tall trees stand next to open spaces, but the white-tailed kite lives in the open, mostly in California and Texas. It is gray and white in color.

Tips & Warnings

• Some kites hunt in flocks, especially prior to the winter migration.