Plumbeous Kite (Ictinia plumbea)

Order: Accipitriformes | Family: Accipitridae | IUCN Status: Least Concern

plumbeous-kite
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Amazonia, Colombia

plumbeous-kite
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Amazonia, Brazil

plumbeous-kite
Age: Juvenile | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Amazonia, Ecuador

plumbeous-kite
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Amazonia, Colombia & Peru

Identification & Behavior: ~35.7 cm (14 in). The adult Plumbeous Kite is gray with a dusky back. It shows rufous primary flight feathers and white tail bars; both readily seen in flight. The juvenile is also gray but heavily streaked with dusky. The back is dusky brown.  It is more likely to be seen in flight than perched on an exposed branch in the forest canopy. It is similar to the Mississippi Kite, which is considered a rare vagrant in Peru.

Status: The Plumbeous Kite is widespread and fairly common in Amazonia. It is known to range up to 1500 m along the foothill of the Andes, and to be uncommon in the semi-deciduous forest of northwest Peru. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Elanio Plomizo.

Sub-species: Plumbeous Kite (Ictinia plumbea), J. F. Gmelin 1788.

Meaning of Name: Ictinia: Gr. Iktinos= hawk, falcon. plumbea: L. plumbea, plumbeus= lead, lead color.

See more of the Family Acciptridae   peru aves

Distribution Map
plumbeous kiteVoice

References:

    • Species range based on: Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, and L. Rico. 2006. Distribution maps of the birds of Peru, version 1.0. Environment, Culture & Conservation (ECCo). The Field Museum.  http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/uw_test/birdsofperu on 01/01/2015.