Thursday, August 16, 2012

Juvenile White-Tailed Kite

Juvenile White-tailed Kite, Elanus leucurus, perching on a newly sprouted panicle of Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia robusta) flowers. White-tailed kites are found from Oregon down through Chile and Argentina. While similar to falcons, kites can hover in mid-air, often up above a burrow or a bush that is hiding potential prey. Kites also spend much more time gliding on widespread wings, similar to sea gulls, than their more powerful flying falcon cousins.

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