![]() Wetlands in the Savannah River basin also support nesting. Reliable nesting hot spots include the Altamaha River and Satilla River floodplains. The current population estimate for Georgia is about 200 nesting pairs. ![]() Swallow-tailed kites exhibit fidelity for the same nest sites, with about 20 percent of nests used in successive years (whether they are actually used by the same individual birds is unknown). Such obligate siblicide may be due to a limited supply of food.ĭay told me that he locates 25 to 30 nests a year in Georgia. In kite populations in Latin America, the first hatched chick vigorously attacks and evicts its smaller nestmate. Nest failure may occur due to predation on the chicks by great horned owls and ratsnakes, or by violent thunderstorms that dislodge nests. Depending on the site, he may survey from a helicopter, a jon boat, a canoe (for the smaller, tighter streams) or on foot.Īccording to Day, the nests are constructed of cypress twigs and Spanish moss and are lined with a soft lichen species called old man’s beard (genus Usnea). ![]() He listens for the distinctive high-pitched whistling cries of adult birds, and the plaintive begging notes of chicks. From March to May, Day watches for birds, flying directionally, that are carrying nesting material or food for nestlings. Swallow-tailed kite nests are typically constructed/located in the tops of what are the tallest trees (60-plus feet high often bald cypress or pines) in or near the upland edge of a heavily wooded stream/river floodplain. Few ornithologists have found as many “stickie” (from STKI, the abbreviation used by bird biologists) nests in the southeastern U.S. In his seasonal role with the state as a raptor ecologist, Day has monitored kite nesting for the past six years. A cool morning kept the mosquitoes at bay until mid-afternoon. To learn about this incredible bird, I recently joined Day for a long walk-and-wade in an Altamaha River slough north of Gardi in Wayne County. They’re back! It's time for those gorgeous kites, with clean black-and-white plumage and scissor tails.Īndy Day, biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, is also back to doing what he loves best: searching for swallow-tailed kite nests.
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