When do Swallow-tailed Kites come to South Texas?

Swallow-tailed Kites arrive in South Texas in March and are present through August. Peak numbers occur during spring migration (March–April) and again in late summer (July–August) when pre-migration flocks gather. Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park and riparian corridors along the Rio Grande are the most reliable sites.

What does a Swallow-tailed Kite look like?

The Swallow-tailed Kite is unmistakable: a large, striking bird with pure white head and underparts contrasting sharply with glossy blue-black wings and a deeply forked black tail. In flight it appears extremely graceful and buoyant, tilting and banking with effortless precision. No other North American raptor shares this color pattern.

Where do Swallow-tailed Kites nest in the United States?

In the United States, Swallow-tailed Kites breed primarily in Florida, along the Gulf Coast, and in scattered locations in the Southeast. In South Texas they are present as migrants and occasional summer visitors but are not confirmed regular breeders. The core U.S. breeding population is in Florida; South Texas birds are mainly migrants passing through to and from South American wintering grounds.

What do Swallow-tailed Kites eat?

Swallow-tailed Kites eat primarily flying insects, tree frogs, lizards, small snakes, and nestling birds — all captured in flight or snatched from vegetation while the bird continues flying. They drink by skimming the surface of ponds and rivers. They are entirely aerial foragers and rarely land except at the nest.

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Rio Grande Valley · Spring & Fall Migrant

Swallow-tailed Kite

Elanoides forficatus · Milano tijereta

Migrant

Swallow-tailed Kite in flight showing deeply forked tail

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Overview

The Swallow-tailed Kite is, by many accounts, the most graceful bird in North America. Watching one bank and wheel overhead — black-and-white plumage flashing, the impossibly long forked tail swinging through arcs — is an experience that stops birders and non-birders alike in their tracks. South Texas lies along the main migration corridor between breeding grounds in the southeastern U.S. and wintering areas in South America; spring migrants move through from late April through May, and fall birds reappear in August. On good days, loose groups of a dozen or more may be seen soaring overhead at Valley hotspots.

Identification

Unmistakable. The combination of snow-white head and underparts contrasting with jet-black back, wings, and deeply forked tail is unique among North American birds. The tail is extraordinarily long — longer than the rest of the body — and the fork deepens even further in adults. In flight the black-and-white pattern and elegant sweeping wingbeats are distinctive from a great distance.

Sexes look alike. Juveniles are similar to adults but with slightly shorter tail streamers and fine streaking on the head and breast. No confusion species in its range.

Habitat & Range

Swallow-tailed Kites breed in the southeastern United States — primarily Florida, South Carolina, and neighboring states — in tall forest near wetlands. They winter in South America, mainly west of the Andes in Bolivia, Brazil, and surrounding countries. The migration route takes them across the Gulf of Mexico and through Mexico and Central America.

In South Texas, migrants may be seen over any habitat — woodland edges, open sky above river corridors, and parks — as they move through. The species does not breed in Texas, though occasional summer individuals linger.

Behavior & Diet

Swallow-tailed Kites are aerial specialists, spending most of their active hours on the wing. They catch large insects — dragonflies, cicadas, beetles — in flight, as well as tree frogs, lizards, and nestlings snatched directly from branches or leaves without landing. They have been observed drinking and bathing in flight by skimming water surfaces.

On migration they often travel in loose groups, riding thermals and soaring effortlessly for hours. Unlike most raptors they seem to genuinely enjoy aerial maneuvering — often seen playing in updrafts with no apparent foraging purpose.

Where to See in South Texas

Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park

Mission

Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge

Alamo

Estero Llano Grande State Park

Weslaco

Best window: late April through May (spring) and August (fall). Look up — migrants often appear overhead with no warning.

Conservation Status

IUCN: Least Concern

Stable globally. The U.S. population was significantly reduced by habitat loss in the 19th and early 20th centuries, contracting from a formerly wider range to its current southeastern stronghold. Deforestation at wintering grounds in South America is an ongoing concern for the long-term population.

Fun Fact

Swallow-tailed Kites eat, drink, and bathe entirely in flight — they have been documented scooping water from the surface of ponds and rivers without landing. They also break twigs from trees while flying to build their nests high in the forest canopy, never touching the ground throughout the entire breeding cycle.

In the News

South Texas Fall Hawk Migration: Broad-winged Kettles at BentsenSwallow-tailed Kites are among the first migrants to move through South Texas each fall — staging flocks appear in August before crossing the Gulf.Read article →South Texas Raptor Specialties: Seven Birds Found Nowhere Else in the U.S.The Swallow-tailed Kite is featured in the RGV raptor specialties guide as one of South Texas's most visually striking migrants — a black-and-white kite with an extraordinary forked tail, staging in August before its Gulf crossing.Read article →

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