Swallow-tailed Kite by Ken _Gilliland

Poser • Animals • posted on Dec 16, 2014

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Description

Swallow-tailed kite's migratory populations occur in summer from the southeastern United States south through Central America, and also in southern Brazil. Resident populations in much of northern South America are supplemented by migrants both from the north and south. They eat small reptiles (such as snakes, lizards and frogs), large insects (grasshoppers and crickets), small birds and eggs, and sometimes small mammals. Fruit is sometimes eaten in South American populations. They drink by skimming the surface and collecting water in their beaks and frequently eat while flying. The Swallow-tailed Kite rarely flap its wings while flying, but it almost continuously rotates its tail, often to nearly 90 degrees, in order to hold a heading, make a sharp turn, or trace tight circles while drifting across the sky. While not formally listed as endangered or threatened by the federal government in the United States, this kite is listed as “endangered” by the state of South Carolina, as “threatened” by the state of Texas and they are listed as "rare" by the state of Georgia. Destruction of habitats is chiefly responsible for the decline in numbers. A key conservation area is the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Rendered in Poser 2014 without postwork. Model credits: Songbird Remix Perching Places and Birds of Prey v3 (Ken Gilliland/Hivewire3D), plus photo background I shot while in Belize.