White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus)

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

white-tailed-kite
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Southwest Brazil

white-tailed-kite
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Eastern Colombia

white-tailed-kite
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Southwest Brazil

white-tailed-kite
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. No Data


Identification & Behavior: ~39 cm (15.3 in). The White-tailed Kite is white below and gray above with distinctive black shoulders. In flight, it shows dark primary flight feathers and two black spots on the underwing coverts. It forages over open fields where it hovers before launching after a prey. The White-tailed Kite is somewhat similar to the Pearl Kite but is distinguished by larger size and light gray back and top of the head.

Status: The White-tailed Kite is an uncommon recent colonist to the southeast Peru, specifically the Puerto Maldonado area. Scattered records also come from northwest Peru. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, Bo, Ch.

Name in Spanish: Elanio de Cola Blanca.

Sub-species: White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus leucurus), Vieillot 1818.

Meaning of Name: Elanus: Gr. related to genus Elanus, a hawk. leucurus: Gr. leukos= white and oura= tail.

See more of the Family Accipitridae   peru aves

Distribution Map
white-tailed-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.