Swallow Tailed Kites
Swallow Tailed Kites, I finally got to see some of these flying high. Some folks told me about this bird when I was down south. They said they only pass through the area and stay for just a few days. They actually look like kites gliding up above.
Swallow-tailed Kites spend most of their time in the air, capturing and swallowing their food in flight. Rarely flapping their wings, they soar and make tight turns, rotating their tail to steer.
Swallow Tailed Kites
25 Replies to “Swallow Tailed Kites”
That’s interesting how they move while in air – that’s an unusual looking tail as well. No wonder they are excellent flyers.
Yes, like someone said they probably invented the kites people fly from these birds.
That does sound possible judging from its unique way of flying that you showed us.
Swallow-Tails are in my top 5 birds and to some extent a trigger bird for me when an errant one showed up near my college campus many years ago.
Very nice photograph of one of our all-time favorites! Love watching them catch a dragonfly and eat it while they soar above a field.
It wad so exciting to see them. I had never even heard of them until this year.
Very moving shots!
Thank you very much 😊
So you had a lot of good luck to see them as they only stay for a few days. The birds profile in the sky realy resembles that of a kite.
Fascinating to know that they spend almost all their time in the sky, it makes me think at the albatros wthat does the same.
I would live to see a Albatros one day. They are pretty good size birds.
Amazing shot, Sandra!
Thank you Kellye 😄
I remember seeing these in an old cartoon. (We don’t have them here)
💙💙🩵🐦🩵💙💙🙏
Thank you very much Francine 😊
They have become a Lowcountry summer regular. It’s common for them to join a group of Mississippi Kites. We have so many dragonflies the Kites fly down the middle of my street. Ellen and I always joke ‘and this is why we moved here’ 😀😀. Great shots of a hard to photo bird 👏👏👏
Thank you Ted. They are amazing to watch gliding above. How cool you get to see them that much. 😊
It’s amazing how you managed to capture the birds in a perfect parallel lines!
There were 6 of them flying around and I took lots of photos, so it is kind of luck to get a shot like this. The first bird was a little out of line. 😊
Wow those are beautiful birds Sandra
Thank you Denzil, yes and to see them flying is just like watching kites that people fly.
They probably stimulated the invention of kites!?
Yes, I think so.
Your Swallow-tailed Kites are so beautiful Sandra ! Lovely pics
It was another fun bird to see in flight. They use those tail feathers so well to just glide and turn up there.