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.

Flying Kite

Found this White Tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus)at Mission Trails Park the other day. This was taken with a 500mm lens so, needless to say, the Kite was being a little camera shy. Try as I might, this was as close as it would let me get. I like to call these "hover hawks" because I see them hovering close to the highway waiting for ground squirrels to pop out of their dens. Outside of hummingbirds, they are the only other bird I have seen actively hover.