Like most other raptors, their eyesight is adapted to help them pinpoint their prey from a very long distance, even while flying.The shape of the wings and the tail structure of these birds are such that they can hang motionless in the air, swoop, glide, roll upside down, and zoom high up in the air.This process continues for a few weeks until the young ones are grown enough to forage for themselves. It is only known that they take their turns between guarding the baby birds and fetching food for the other family members. However, there is not much information about the degree of parental supervision. As the juveniles gradually learn to come out of the nest and begin to fly, it takes another two weeks for them to become independent. The young ones are altricial (born naked and blind). As the offspring take birth, their fledgling period lasts for 36 to 42 days. After a successful mating session, the female generally lays a pair of eggs in a single clutch, incubating them, taking turns with its male partner for about 4 weeks. These birds build their nests close to sources of water, on top of tall trees, anywhere between 18 and 40 meters above the ground. Picture of Swallow-Tailed Kite Life Cycle Today, habitat loss remains the main threat to this. The swallow-tailed kites are carnivorous birds that feast on small reptiles, amphibians, mammals, large insects including bats, lizards, snakes, lizards, frogs, grasshoppers, crickets, as well as other birds and their eggs. The species once nested in 16 states but now breeds in only seven, with much of the population in Florida. All five species are found in the southern states and also in Mexico. These raptors have very keen eyesight which they use while they set out to prey soaring high up in the sky. There are five types of kites living in North America. During migration, these birds form large flocks and follow a specific migration route. The swallow-tailed kites also communicate using displays, like physical postures when it comes to mating, courtship, etc. These birds communicate with each other by means of short, high-pitched whistles, twitters, and cries especially during the mating season, or while out for hunting for food. The swallow-tailed kites are found across their range in two distinct subspecies, viz., the E. It is also a robber of other birds, and if it should happen to see a weaker bird with food, it is. Unlike the black kite, this bird is a great thief, and makes as much havoc among poultry as the red kite. The swallow-tailed kites prefer open forests, freshwater marshes, lake shores, and wooded swamps. Another species is sometimes called the Black Kite from the dark hue of its plumage, but ought rather to retain the title of Egyptian Kite. These birds range across the southeastern regions of the United States to the eastern parts of Peru and northern Argentina. The longevity of the swallow-tailed kite is yet not known by the researchers. The red kite became extinct as a Scottish breeding bird species in the late nineteenth century, primarily due to human persecution by sporting estates.
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