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| @ D. Brewer 2018. Swallow-tailed Kites in roost tree. |
Every year since 1989, ARCI has conducted systematic aerial
surveys to count Swallow-tailed Kites at more than 15 large pre-migration
roosts during a 10-day window in late July. These roosts, some of which hold up
to 4,000 birds, provide an extremely rare and valuable opportunity for
long-term population monitoring of this imperiled species. This year, however, health,
safety and funding constraints resulting from COVID-19 have forced us to scale
back ARCI’s monitoring surveys by limiting our coverage to just the four
largest roosts (which usually account for at least 85-90% of the birds
observed) and by conducting fewer flights by focusing more tightly around the
likely peak time period.
As a result, it will be particularly valuable this year to
have YOU and YOUR KITE SIGHTINGS serving as our eyes on feeding and gathering places
that we could not otherwise monitor and include in ARCI’s surveys.
Pre-migration roosts are places where Swallow-tailed Kites gather
for the night after their nesting responsibilities are over, but prior to
departure on their southbound migration. These night roosts also serve as
jumping-off points for daily foraging flights, for which Swallow-tailed Kites
usually travel in small flocks. In these ways, individual kites benefit by
having a safe place to sleep (more eyes and ears to detect predators) and also
from what they can learn from each other about good foraging opportunities over
the surrounding landscape, which may shift in location over periods of days and
even hours. Knowing the most productive places to feed allows the kites to gain
weight rapidly and prepare themselves for their imminent 5,000+ mile southbound migration,
which begins with a very dangerous 450 to 600-mile flight over open ocean to
Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
From years of conducting these carefully designed aerial
photo surveys, we are confident that we are probably counting most of the
Swallow-tailed Kites that nest and hatch in Florida each breeding season, and
at least two-thirds of the individuals associated with nests across the seven
southeastern states that represent the current United States breeding range of
this species.
However, we know that we are missing kites that are NOT
using these large roosts as pre-migration staging areas. This is why it is so
useful to have your help in counting Swallow-tailed Kites during the same time
period when we are conducting our systematic aerial surveys.
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| @ Beckner 2019. Swallow-tailed Kites in roost tree. |
How would you go about this? First and foremost, it is
important that you protect your health and that of others by keeping your distance
and wearing a mask when near others. Some of you may be able to see kites right
in your neighborhood. Others may know of or suspect good observation conditions
in secluded places within driving or paddling range, where you can search for
roosting and foraging kites while maintaining safe distances from other people.
Besides considering the health of those around you, please
be extremely careful not to disturb or flush any roosting kites. Even one such
intrusion might discourage individual kites from returning to a well-known and
favored roost sight where they can sleep safely and, in effect, share
information about productive feeding areas, which are critically important to
their health and safety during the long over-water first leg of their arduous southbound
journey. If any kites suddenly rise up in energetic flight, or even if they just
call at you or seem to continually look alert in your direction, please assume you
are too close and back off immediately.
To contribute to our growing community database of
Swallow-tailed Kite sightings during this very special time of year – and under
these challenging current conditions – please report the date, time, location,
number, and behavior of kites you see with this 2020 Population Monitoring Survey form. The form is responsive to your smart device, so you can even
report from the field!
We are very grateful for your valuable help monitoring Swallow-tailed
Kite population trends!
-The ARCI Team
