Swallow-tailed kites are seen in parts of the Caribbean during migration. There is a swallow-tailed kite population that lives year-round in South America, including Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela. Where they come from and where they go, is something of a mystery. They come here to breed, arriving in March and leaving in August and September. They're rarely seen in parts of coastal Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia and South Carolina. Now, about the only place you expect to see them is Florida, from the central part of the state through the Keys. Perhaps it was because he (or she) moved so slowly overhead, almost pausing in mid-air, while showing off his (her) graceful form and flight.Īt one time, swallow-tailed kites, Elanoides forficatus, were a common sight throughout the Southeast, and in fact, were known to inhabit 21 states, ranging as far north as Minnesota. Perhaps it was the setting where we first spotted one, the bright blue of the early evening in Everglades National Park. Seeing this bird, a swallow-tailed kite, tops them all.
