Shaped like a Swallow, with the characteristic pointed wings, and built with the slim body of a falcon, this kite is our most aerial bird of prey. While in flight this raptor captures insects, drinks water by skimming the surface of ponds, and gathers nesting material by breaking off dead twigs from the tree tops. Our kite winters in the tropics and returns to Florida in the early spring to build a moss lined twig nest in a tall tree in or near a swamp.

Latin Name: Elanoides Forfocatus

Habitat:Pine flatwoods, Swamp, Marsh, River

Diet: insects, snakes, lizards, tree frogs, mammals