White-tailed Kite

Elanus leucurus (Vieillot, 1818)

White-tailed Kite, Elanus leucurus, breeds from the southern and western United States through Middle America and South America to central Argentina. It is a small raptor in the Accipitridae family, first described by Vieillot in 1818. In its range it stands apart from the related Old World black-winged kite. It has a gull-like look, but its build and flight are more like a falcon’s, with a rounded tail. The bird shows white on the face and underparts, with black on the wing tips, shoulders and bill, and deep red eyes.

Order

Accipitriformes

Family

Accipitridae — Kites, Hawks, Eagles

Breeding range

North America, Middle America, South America: s, w USA to c Argentina