Winged Elegance:
Swallow-tailed Kite

The Swallow-tailed Kite is unmistakable in flight, with long, pointed wings, deeply forked tail, and contrasting black-and-white plumage. This largest of American kites is a graceful, buoyant flier, so lightweight and maneuverable that it can capture a dragonfly mid-air or pluck a lizard from its treetop hideout — all without a single wingbeat. In flight, it frequently turns its tail, sometimes to nearly 90 degrees, using it as a rudder to maintain its flight path, veer sharply, or circle.

This consummate aerial acrobat seems more like a giant Barn Swallow than a raptor. It is also a “social butterfly” — how do its social habits differ from most other U.S. raptors?