We are currently tracking eight Swallow-tailed Kites during their southbound migration to wintering grounds in Brazil and Bolivia. Over the next few weeks we will be documenting six of the kites that were tagged in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
Palmetto (Female) – Tagged in Palmetto Bluff, South Carolina.
Still joined with other Swallow-tailed Kites in foraging flocks near the Altamaha River in Georgia and was actually spotted by a local birder. He even managed to capture a photo of her! Photo coming soon.
Pace (Male) – Tagged south of Jacksonville, Florida.
Continues to spend his days fueling up in the Wildwood, Florida, area. This is the area at the intersection of I-75 and the Florida Turnpike where you can often see Swallow-tailed Kites overhead.
Gulf Hammock (Female) – Tagged in Levy County, Florida.
Departed her Florida nesting area on July 4th and headed north to her pre-migration staging area in Dodge County, Georgia, near the Ocmulgee River. This is the third year in a row she is using this pre-migration area.
Suwannee (Female) – Tagged at the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge.
After 18 hours of travel, she is still staging in Quintana Roo, Mèxico, near the town of Guanajay to rest and replenish her fat reserves.
Day (Female) – Tagged in Daytona, Florida.
Day is on the move. She has headed SW and spent the night in the Hillsboro River area.
MIA (Male) – Tagged in south Miami, Florida.MIA is moving strong and southbound. Unlike Suwannee, who is still staging in Quintana Roo to replenish her fat reserves, MIA has stopped only to sleep at night. He spent one night each in Mexico, Belize and Honduras and has already made it safely to Nicaragua.
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